Stick Together and Run
by seasidewriter1
Summary: When presented with an opportunity that no paleontologist could refuse, Dr. Alan Grant and his daughter, Gwyn, treat the business trip to Jurassic Park as a vacation; only, this vacation goes horribly wrong in ways one could only have nightmares about. Jurassic Park goes from the place of Gwyn's dreams, to the one she detests with a burning passion. Prequel to This Damnable Place.
1. Family Fun

_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind._

 _ **Foreword: This is a prequel to my Jurassic World fanfic 'This Damnable Place.' I'd tell you to go read what chapters I've posted to it, but, since this is a prequel, you don't have to! It's also a companion piece to said fic. Anyway, enjoy! :)**_

Family Fun

Gwyn could feel the skin on the back of her neck burning as she bent over the mostly unearthed raptor skeleton. She had been kneeling in that position for at least an hour, expanding on the work her father and the workers had been doing before they broke for a short lunch. She held a dust encrusted brush in one hand as she swept sand away from what was, quite clearly now, a raptor claw. Or, half of one really––the other half was still buried in the earth. A gust of wind swept by in a cloud of dust and dirt, which prompted the eleven year-old to throw her body over the fossilized claw to protect it. Her feet were kicked up in the air, displaying her slightly too large boots, and her head was ducked, which caused her nose to press into the dry earth. Gwyn's back was uncomfortably arched as not to let her stomach press against the claw, and the brushes she'd been using were still clenched in her hands. As the wind died down, it was replaced with the flat, stifling heat brought by the afternoon sun.

"Gwyn!" Head popping up with hair flying out of her ponytail, Gwyn stared wide-eyed at her father and Ellie Sattler, her father's girlfriend, climbing back up the hill towards her. Alan Grant, Gwyn's father, had his arms spread wide, and a look of abject, stern confusion was plain on his face.

"Hi, dad," she said, pushing herself back onto her knees. Dirt coated the tip of her nose and a streak of it appeared on her forehead as she swiped the back of her hand across it. Alan gestured to the spot of ground she'd been hunched over; his forehead was creased, his brows, were furrowed, and his mouth, which was slightly ajar, was also pulled into a frown. That was the look of an oncoming reprimand. Gwyn sank back to sit on her heels, the heels of her boots pressing into the backs of her thighs.

"What were you doing?"

"I was unearthing the claw." She leaned to the side so she could look around Alan and see the blond haired paleobotanist. With a smile as she fell slightly off balance––much to her father's horror seeing as her knees fell too close to the excavation area––Gwyn said, "Hi, Ellie."

"Hi, Gwyn," Ellie said with a gentle laugh.

"You did so without my permission," Alan pointed out firmly. Gwyn's smile faded as she shifted to sit on her bum, looping her arms around her knees. Her gaze was redirected to the claw, which had only been a quarter unearthed when Alan and Ellie had left for lunch. She would have thought he might've been impressed at what she'd managed to do in the last hour, at how careful she'd been, at the admittedly near-professional work she'd done. Looking back up at Alan, she tried to smile again, a quietly nervous laugh pushing through her lips.

"But… you've only got half of it to go, now," she pointed out, a hopeful tone to her voice. Hopeful that he would see how proud she was of what she'd done.. hopeful that _he_ would be proud.

That was one of the problems, Gwyn supposed, with having a famous father who was exceptionally excellent at what he did. She wanted to make him proud and show him that she, too, was quite good at being a paleontologist even though she was only eleven. And she _was_ for her age. Alan had taught her all that she knew about excavation and dinosaurs; he'd not spared any of the gory, horrific details, and she hadn't asked him to. But all she had wanted as of late was for him to see that she knew how to apply what she'd learned.

"And you did it without my permission, Gwyn. I've told you that you cannot do any unauthorized or unassisted excavating; it risks ruining the integrity of the fossils," Alan scolded in a stern, flat tone. Gwyn's shoulder slumped in a deflated manner, dropping her chin onto the tops of her knees, avoiding her father's eyes. "Hey." Alan crouched down across from her, forearms braced on his knees. Both his brows rose when Gwyn glanced at him from the corner of her eye for a brief second. "Look at me." Once she complied begrudgingly, Alan continued to talk. "I understand that it's exciting, I understand that you thought you were helping. But you _can't_ do something so important without permission. These bones are––"

"Sixty-five million years old, I know…" Gwyn muttered, having heard this speech before. "They're fragile, practically priceless, and…"

" _And_ not for kids to play with," Alan finished off. He nodded back to the trailer that acted as camp base. "Why don't you go get some lunch? You haven't eaten anything since seven this morning."

Gwyn nodded silently, pushing herself to her feet before walking a deliberately wide berth around the excavated claw. Alan held out a hand to stop her, halting her mid step, he nodded to the left, signalling her to come closer. Gwyn shuffled to the side a few steps, expecting more stern words, which she wouldn't have put past him. Instead he reached out and took hold of her chin gently, tilting her head back as, with the other hand, he dug a red bandana out of his back pocket.

"As cute as it is to look like a Dirt Fairy… you aren't one anymore," Alan teased gently, lifting the bandana to wipe the dirt off her forehead. He then moved on to gently rubbing the dirt off of her nose, a look that was actually quite becoming on her. With a smirk, he tweaked the tip of it once he was done, which brought a smile to her lips and drew a giggle from her throat. Alan had used to call her the Dirt Fairy when she was significantly younger, when she had run into the house or across the dig-site absolutely covered in dirt. She'd always loved dirt, and didn't consider a day good enough if she didn't get to play in it at least once. Chuckling, Alan placed his hand on her back and ushered her back down the hill, turning to watch her go as the other workers returned from lunch. Ellie, who had been smiling from the previous display of fatherly affection, whacked him gently with the back of her hand. He looked at her to see that, while she was smiling, there was an accusation in her eyes. "What?"

"She was just trying to help," Ellie defended gently, gesturing to the claw. Alan sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was well aware of that, but he was being professional. He _had_ to be professional, even when it came to his daughter–– _especially_ when it came to his daughter on-site.

"Gwyn is _eleven,_ she doesn't know––"

"Don't say she doesn't know what she's doing. _You_ have been teaching her what to do for years!"

"Yes, but, Gwyn doesn't know how to properly _apply_ what I've taught her. She's still a kid," Alan rephrased with a careful and slow precision, kneeling down where his daughter had been a minute ago. Ellie rolled her eyes and placed both hands on her jean clad hips; she watched as Alan tilted his head and rubbed at his chin, observing just what Gwyn had done in the last hour and, perhaps, reconsidering what he'd just said.

"I don't know about you, but I think it looks like she did a pretty good job. There are no egregious errors that I can see… she was very careful. Didn't dig too deep… didn't brush away too much dirt… _and_ she didn't rush. She only uncovered a quarter more than what we'd left." Ellie crouched down and pulled her hat onto her head, making sure that the floppy brim covered the back of her neck. "She isn't gonna be a 'kid' for much longer, Alan. Her birthday is in a few months, and then it'll only be a year till she's a teenager."

Alan's nose screwed up and his lips pulled themselves downwards into a frown.

"Don't remind me," he grumbled. Ellie laughed and leaned over to pick up Gwyn's abandoned brushes. Alan pushed his sunglasses on and ran his fingers over the three inches of exposed claw. He did have to admit… Gwyn _had_ done a pretty damn good job, even if she wasn't supposed to. Though, he supposed if there was any child who was going to be good at paleontology, it was going to be his.

Gwyn sat at the cluttered pick-nick table holding a sandwich in one hand and a pencil in the other. She was drawing a sloppy looking velociraptor, the pencil led scratching against the notebook paper in short strokes. She wasn't the best artist, but she wasn't horrible; though she wanted to take classes to improve her skills. Though, Gwyn wasn't sure when she'd actually have the _time_ to take any such classes. She and her father moved around a lot depending on where Alan found himself employed, though Montana tended to be rich in dig sites; hence was the reason their house was in said state. In her eleven years, Gwyn had been to a number of different schools, and found she prefered the familiarity of paleontologists to teachers and open landscape to classrooms. Though she went anyway, as per her father's instruction and her dream of someday being a paleontologist.

"Hey, Gwyn!" someone called. She looked up while chewing a mouthful of her lunch and spotted Jared, a young paleontologist who sat under a tent that shaded a computer system that had been acting finicky all day. Once Jared saw he'd grabbed her attention, he waved her over as he pushed away from the table. Almost everyone on sight adored Gwyn, especially since she helped out with whatever needed helping, and stayed out of the way when she needed to. She was shockingly mature for her age, and that earned her a good dose of respect. "The computer's rebooted; we're gonna try again!"

"I'll go get my dad!"

Once Gwyn had retrieved her father, she went about finishing her lunch before joining all the other paleontologists around the computer screen as Jared told Ellie that the results of shooting the radar into the ground should be near instantaneous. Sure enough, the screen clicked to life and wobbly, fuzzy shapes began to appear.

"This program is incredible… a few more years development and we won't even have to dig anymore," Jared was murmuring as an image of a velociraptor skeleton came fuzzily into view on the screen. Alan, who had removed his hat and sunglasses, leaned up against the tent pole. He scoffed quietly and crossed his arms.

"Where's the fun in that?" he inquired. He earned a snicker from the rest of the paleontologist, and a fond squeeze of the arm from Ellie, who smiled brightly at him. Gwyn stood to Alan's right, a notepad and pencil in hand with a fresh page to write on at the ready. Alan got her to take notes on occasion, since her handwriting was much better than his; that, and she was just good at writing quickly.

"It's a little distorted… but I don't think it's the computer."

"Mm… post-mortem contraction of the posterior neck ligaments," Ellie listed off, approaching the screen. She pointed to said marks, eyes narrowed to see the tiny details. Alan playfully nudged Gwyn's shoulder and waggled his fingers down at her notepad, which was beaten around the edges and coated in a fine layer of dust.

"You got that?"

"Post-mortem contraction to the posterior neck ligaments, yup," she repeated as she wrote them down. Alan winked at her and flanked Jared on his right just as Ellie did on his left. He bent at the waist and stared at the radar image on the screen.

"Velociraptor?" Ellie inquired.

"Yeah––in good shape, too. It's… five, six feet high, I'm guessing nine feet long. Look at the extremities––" he cut himself off when the screen fuzzed into static as he tapped the screen. "What did it do?"

"You touched it," Ellie laughed as the image reappeared. He touched the top of the computer again and the screen delved into static again. Ellie, laughing harder, nudged Jared and smiled over at Gwyn, who was biting her lip and smiling. "Dr. Grant isn't computer compatible."

"It's got it in for me…" he muttered under his breath distastefully. He refocused himself and pointed to the raptor's talons. "And look at the half-moon shaped bones in it's wrists… No wonder these guys learned how to fly." There was a sense of whimsy in his voice, admiration. He had written an entire book about dinosaurs and birds, and how he thought they were related, how he thought some of them had turned into birds. A resounding chuckle echoed around him. "No, seriously. Alright…" Alan turned to face his comrades and Ellie and Gwyn moved off to the side, having heard this speech many times before. _Many_ times before. "Well, maybe dinosaurs have more in common with present day birds than they do with reptiles. Look at the… pubic bone––turned backward, just like a bird. Look at the vertebrae, full of air-sacks and hollows just like a bird, and even the word raptor _means_ 'bird of prey.'"

" _That_ doesn't look very scary!" exclaimed a young voice from the edge of the group. Everyone turned to see a young boy, maybe around Gwyn's age, standing not too far away. He looked deeply skeptical of Alan's theory, eyes narrowed under the bill of his baseball cap. Alan turned slowly, returning the look the boy was tossing his way. The other paleontologists stepped to either side, allowing their site-leader and mentor ample space to step forward; because if there was one thing they could be sure about, it was the fact that Alan wouldn't leave this matter lie. "More like a… six-foot turkey!"

"A turkey…" Alan murmured as everyone around them chuckled with amusement. Ellie nudged Gwyn's side with her elbow and smiled.

"Oh no… here we go," she said under her breath, stepping forward to follow Alan as he approached the boy. Gwyn smiled and sat herself down on one of the equipment crates, watching as her father placed his fingers to his temples for a moment, pacing forward as he launched into a speech.

"Okay. Try to imagine yourself in the Cretaceous Period. You get your first look at this… 'six foot turkey' as you enter a clearing. He moves like a bird, lightly, bobbing his head. And you keep still because you think that maybe his visual acuity is based on movement like T-Rex - he'll lose you if you don't move. But no, not Velociraptor." Alan waggled his hand from side to side, dismissing the thought. The boy rolled his eyes and Alan pointed at himself. "You stare at him," he pointed to the boy, "and he just stares right back. And that's when the attack comes. Not from the front, but from the side–– _thwip!_ ," Alan brought the pointer finger of either hand together, swiping them through the air as the boy's eyes widened, "and the other two raptors you didn't even know were there. Because Velociraptor's a pack hunter, you see, he uses coordinated attack patterns and he is out in force today." Alan began to circle around the boy, both hands casually resting on his hips. One of his hands snuck into his pocket and curled around the object that sat there. "And he slashes at you with _this_ …" he withdrew his hand to reveal the raptor claw he'd taken from the dig-site, which was brandished between his fore and second finger, "a six-inch retractable claw, like a razor, on the middle toe. He doesn't bother to bite your jugular like a lion, say... no, no. He slashes at you _here_ ," he slashed the claw through the air diagonally, just above the boy's chest, "or here," downwards, from his abdomen to his thigh. As he bent at the waist to become eye-level with the boy, Ellie shook her head and muttered 'oh, Alan' under her breath. Alan then slowly drew the claw through the air by the boy's stomach. "Or maybe across the belly, spilling your intestines. The point is... you are _alive_ when they start to eat you. So you know... try to show a little respect."

The boy nodded, meeting Alan's gaze. "Okay."

Alan offered him a smile that was filled with amusement before slipping the claw back into his pocket as he walked away. That speech, that overly descriptive, bloody, realistic story, was _exactly_ how he'd always talked to Gwyn. Most of her bed-time stories followed that description in some sort of capacity, helped along with little dinosaur toys and growling sound effects. She never cowered away or asked him to stop; she even became accustomed to correct what her father said if she thought it was wrong. And, sometimes he purposely said something wrong to see if she'd pick up on it… more often than not, she did. The boy stood wide-eyed, mind filled with gory, panic inducing images. While Ellie made to follow Alan, Gwyn simply smiled and flipped her notebook shut, hopping off the supply crate. Jared, who was smirking to himself, nodded at her as he tapped away at the keys.

"He ever talk to you like that?" he asked with a chuckle, feeling like he knew the answer. Gwyn smiled and replied as she backed up with jaunty little steps.

"Only always!"

Ellie and Alan were climbing their way back up the hill as Ellie commented that, if Alan wanted to scare the boy, he should've just pulled a gun on him. Alan chuckled at the thought then shook his head. His knowledge of dinosaurs could be called his weapon, he supposed.

"Kids…" Alan sighed. He chuckled and shook his head. "And you say you want kids."

"I don't want _that_ kid, but a _breed_ of child, Dr. Grant, could be intriguing," Ellie laughed, gesturing about with her hands. "I mean, what's so wrong with kids? You're a father, that's not exactly the kind of attitude father's have––let alone you. You love Gwyn with everything you've got."

"Oh, Ellie, look, they're… _noisy_ , they're messy, they're expensive," Alan listed off, ticking the list off on his fingers with the brim of his hat. Ellie shook her head and whacked his arm playfully

"Cheap, cheap… Alan, you're a dad!"

Ellie had pulled the card she always used whenever this conversation popped up. Alan smiled and fiddled around with his hat as they climbed the hill. He had never actually planned or intended on being a father; Gwyn had been a complete and utter surprise, but a lovely, beautiful surprise nonetheless. He loved her something fierce, though he did find it difficult to find ways to express it besides just saying it. Kids weren't his strong suit, as had just been demonstrated, and he had a bluntness to the way he spoke that many wouldn't find quite fatherly. But he had raised Gwyn on his own, and she had grown to love and expect the way he spoke and explained things. At times it was hard since he didn't know _how_ to be a parent, let alone a single parent, but no one could exactly say he'd done a bad job.

"Yes, I am; and I love Gwyn dearly and deeply, but she _was_ noisy, messy, and continues to be expensive. Though I will admit she was considerably less noisy and messy than other children." He smiled to himself and knocked his hat against thigh a few times. "I raised her right. Oh––and kids smell," he added on as an after thought.

"They do not smell!" Ellie laughed, bending at the waist.

"Some of them smell! _Babies_ smell!" Alan retorted, pointing at the blond haired woman. "Take it from me, who has raised a child from infancy––babies _smell_ …"

 _ **Afterword:**_ _**Well, would ya look at that? Actually posted this baby. Like I said in the A/N of This Damnable Place, I'm gonna post chapters to this story as they come, without much of a regular schedule (not like I actually have one of those for any of my other stories :P). But, I'm loving writing this so much that it'll probably be updated fairly frequently! I've got the first few chapters written for this already and I'm love, love, loving this.**_

 _ **Also, I'm not a paleontologist, so don't take my word as gospel on paleontology practices. I should probably read a book on paleontology… make this all more realistic, ahahah!**_

 _ **Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read this! I hope you all have a lovely day!**_

 _ **~Mary**_


	2. Vacation

_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind._

2\. Vacation

Gwyn was licking yogurt off her spoon when someone burst through the trailer doors. She had heard the wind kick up outside and presumed that a storm was blowing in, which was unfortunate with all the work they'd done that day. She would have popped out to assist in covering the bones, but she was sure her dad would tell her to get back inside. The youngest Grant froze and watched as the man dressed in white bumbled inside, looking around with a pleased little 'oh!' He was older and on the portly side and carrying a walking stick with a small amber orb fixed on the top. White hair peeked out from under a pale straw hat, and a matching beard was neatly groomed. When his eyes landed on her and peered at her through wire-rimmed glasses, a bright, friendly smile appeared on his face.

"Why, hello!" he said, an unfamiliar lilt gracing his voice.

"Um… hi?" Gwyn asked slowly, lowering her spoon to the countertop on which she sat. She didn't recognize this man, he'd never been on site before. Her brows furrowed and she watched him warily, unsure of what to do or say. "Who… who are you?"

"Oh, of course, how silly of me," the man laughed, stepping forward and extending a hand. "John Hammond." Gwyn carefully slipped her hand into his grasp, her hand significantly smaller than his.

"Gwyn Grant…"

"Oh! You must be Dr. Grant's daughter!" His accent sounded vaguely… Scottish? He also sounded very excitable, and Gwyn wasn't entirely sure what to make of this man. All she did was nod her response and he exclaimed 'excellent!' before he made a beeline for the refrigerator. Gwyn gaped at him, her hand still hanging in mid-air. The man's name sounded vaguely familiar, though she couldn't quite tell; she was mostly confused.

"Sir?" Hammond muttered to himself as he rummaged around the refrigerator. Gwyn hopped off the counter and cautiously approached the white-haired man. "Um, _sir?_ You–you can't be going through our stuff. _Sir!_ "

The door burst open and Gwyn's head whipped around to see her father, looking very peeved, step inside, slamming the door shut. He was coated in a fine layer of dirt that made him look slightly grey in pallor, and made his hair look, literally, sandy blond. Gwyn gestured to the man by the refridgerator with a look of desperation on her face.

"I tried to stop him!" Gwyn exclaimed in exasperation.

"It's okay, just… just come here," Alan said, sounding out of breath. He took hold of Gwyn's wrist with a dusty palm and drew her to his side, eyes trained warily on the man who stood in front of them. "The hell do you think you're doing in here?" Hammond stood straight and turned with a champagne bottle in hand. The cork shot out of the bottle with a loud _pop_ that caused the Grants to jump and duck out of the way as it hit the ceiling. "Hey, we were saving that!"

"For today!" Hammond said with a grin. "I guarantee it!" Alana and Gwyn fixed him with a look so similar that it made the Scotsman giggle. Their eyes were wide and disbelieving and their eyebrows rose at a sharp angle he barely thought possible. "Oh, you truly are father and daughter, aren't you?" With his fatherly instinct kicking into over-drive, Alan pushed Gwyn behind him, a heavy, upset look sitting in his eyes. He then stalked forward a few steps, pointing at the older man menacingly.

"Who in god's name do you you think you are?" he demanded in a low, rumbling voice.

"John Hammond," Hammond wrapped his hand around Alan's pointing finger, shaking it, "and I'm delighted to meet you finally in person, Dr. Grant." Alan's face when slack and the other man laughed as he drew his hand away and blew the dust out of his palm. "So, I can see my fifty-thousand a year has been well-spent!"

"Aha… yeah. This is, _ahem_ , my daughter, Gwyn."

"Yes, we met just moments ago! Very lovely young lady, isn't she?" Hammond beamed and moved on to search through the small cupboards for cups.

"Okay, who's the jerk!?" demanded Ellie, storming inside. She whipped off her hat and allowed her blond locks to tumble around her angered face. Alan lunged for the blond paleobotanist and placed a hand on her arm with a wide-eyed look and a stiff smile.

"This here is our paleobotanist, Dr.––"

"Sattler," she finished.

"––Sattler."

"Ellie, this is, uh, _Mr. Hammond_."

 _Of course_ , Gwyn thought as Ellie stumbled forward with her mouth agape, _Hammond––the Hammond who's funding the dig._ While Hammond apologized for his 'dramatic entrance' and Ellie giggled nervously over her use of the word 'jerk,' Alan smiled down at Gwyn and ushered her towards the door.

"Why don't you step outside for a bit?"

"But that's…" Gwyn pointed at Hammond with surprise on her face. "He's…"

"John Hammond," Alan agreed, popping the door open to continue ushering her out. "Which means this is probably business."

"Right… yeah, right," Gwyn stuttered, practically tripping out of the trailer. Alan quickly snatched up her notebook and a couple pencils––unsure of which ones were actually sharpened––and handed them to his daughter with a tentative, unsure look.

"Why don't you… um… you can go…" he scratched at the back of his head, at a loss for words. The dig was on hold till Hammond left, since his helicopter had nearly recovered a quarter of their work, and there wasn't much for a child to do in the middle of, well, the Badlands. Gwyn blinked up at him, saw his struggle and offered a very small smile, one so faint Alan was convinced she might have been sad.

"It's alright, I'll find something to do." Gwyn tugged the door shut and strode out from the trailer's awning, scratching the back of her neck. She froze when she spotted the helicopter and a number of disgruntled, dirt covered paleontologist. "No way…" Well, that explained the sudden 'wind storm' that had kicked up a couple minutes ago.

Gwyn snatched her father's straw fedora off the picnic table and sat it on top of her own head, the brim of it sliding down till it sat flat just above her eyebrows. Flicking her notebook open again, she sighed and pressed her curled fist into her cheek. Most of the pages were filled with dig notes, properly labeled by date and what specimen number the notes were on. The notes were detailed, and only three quarters of them were what her father said––the other quarter were own observations. Scattered around the notes were drawings, some of them better than others, and little snippets of what she'd been thinking. It was like a patchwork journal. Most of it was work, but some of it was play; such as the sketches she'd done detailing flat grass lands and a number of grazing herbivores.

After attempting a couple sketches and writing down the strange path the day had taken, Gwyn resigned to lying flat on her stomach on the bench, using pebbles to make curling, indistinct patterns. She had become great friends with boredom. They greeted each other kindly whenever it rolled around and Gwyn had a great set of activities stored away in her head to keep herself occupied in such times. While paleontology was great fun, especially when she was allowed to actually _do_ something, down time was like to happen. Just when she was about to give up and decided to take a nap, the trailer door opened and the three inside exited. Ellie and Alan shook Hammond's hand with grateful, bright grins, a look he enthusiastically returned. Hammond turned to make for the helicopter, waving at Gwyn as he went.

"I shall see you soon, dear girl!" he called out to her giddily. Her lips quirked into a half smile that was filled with confusion while she gave a wave. Ellie and Alan talked feverishly for a couple minutes and then shared a tight hug that ended when Ellie dashed for her tent. Everything was plunged into a whirlwind of sand for a couple of moments as the helicopter made to take off, soaring into the afternoon sky.

"Gwyn, come on," Alan said, gesturing towards himself. She sat up, grabbed her notebook and pencils, and made a beeline for her father. The first thing he did was smirk and pluck the hat off her head before it drifted into her eyes. As he settled it onto his own, the smirk turned into a frown when he saw the bright red pigment that colored the back of Gwyn's neck. Holding her shoulders, he turned her back to face him, moving her braid of messy sandy blond hair out of the way. "Oh, honey, did you not put a hat on?"

"Yeah."

"You burned pretty bad… the back of your neck looks like a lobster," he grumbled before he slipped an arm over her shoulders. He started to lead her towards their tent. "Remember what I always say?"

"Paleontologists never work in the shade," they said at the same time. Gwyn sighed and let her head loll back against Alan's forearm, wincing as her neck protested the movement with a sharp sting.

"I know…"

"They also wear sunscreen."

" _Dad_."

"What?" he chuckled, smiling down at her. "I'm supposed to pester you, I'm your father." Gwyn smiled and leaned into his side, causing him to diverge from a straight path, which made them both laugh. Once they approached their tent, Alan unzipped the flap and gestured her inside. "Pack up your stuff––some of it, at least. A couple changes of clothes, maybe your bathing suit. A raincoat, definitely. Your camera… notebook. But pack lightly, try to keep it to a single duffel."

"What? Why?" she asked, one foot inside the tent.

"We're leaving for the weekend," Alan announced with a smile. She gaped at him. That was the only description of the look she was giving him; her mouth was dropped open, her eyes were wide, and there was a slight pinch forming between her brows.

"Why?"

"Well, we haven't really taken a family trip anywhere in…"

"Five years."

"Right, five years. You see, Mr. Hammond has this… park on an island just off Costa Rica. He's asked Ellie and I––and you, in fact––to come be three of the first guests. He's asked me to endorse it, actually, offered to fund the dig for three more years." Gwyn's brows shot towards her hairline and her mouth dropped open again in shock. "And I also thought that… it might be fun to get away for a weekend. We don't get to spend much time together anymore and, though it technically _is_ a business trip… it's gonna be fun."

"So… like a… vacation?" Gwyn inquired slowly, fighting to keep a smile off her face till her suspicion was confirmed. There was an excited glimmer in Alan's eyes, something she loved to see. With a smile, Alan nodded and placed both hands on his hips.

"Yeah. Like a vacation."

With an excited squeal, Gwyn launched herself forward and flung her arms around her father's chest. She hugged him tightly, face pressed into his plaid shirt that smelled like earth, sweat, and the remainders of detergent. Alan chuckled and wound his arms around her, ducking his head so he could press a kiss to the top of her head. Vacations were a foreign concept for the Grant family. Alan was almost always working, and Gwyn's school vacations were typically spent on site. Their form of vacation was more than two weeks at home or maybe popping out for an evening to go have dinner at a restaurant or see a movie. Alan regretted not being able to spend much time with his daughter and knew that it put a certain strain on their relationship; and it was hard to admit there was a strain, especially since she was so young. But to see her so excited made his heart swell.

"I will have to work for a little bit, but…"

"I don't care!" Gwyn giggled, jumping back and bouncing on the balls of her feet. "We're going on vacation! We get to spend time together! A–and Ellie'll be there, and… we need to pack!" She very nearly dove into the tent and started rummaging through her stuff, keeping in mind they were going somewhere tropical. Alan chuckled and followed her inside, rubbing her back as he knelt down beside her.

OOOO

It was decided they would be flying to Isla Nublar via helicopter once they'd hopped over to Costa Rica via plane. When Gwyn, Alan, and Ellie arrived at the airfield, they were greeted by Hammond, who ushered them into helicopter excitedly. Hammond, Alan, and Ellie took up one set of seats and that left Gwyn to sit beside someone else. He was a balding man who looked like he was dying in the Costa Rican heat, and was seated beside a tan, curly haired man dressed all in black. Gwyn looked at the man beside her and gave him a once over. He looked miserable even while wearing shorts, which was probably attributed to the fact that he was wearing a blazer and a button down done up to the neck. Gwyn settled herself in beside him and removed her black backpack and put it at her feet. She extended her hand to him as the doors shut and the pilot began a systems check. The man stared at her hand distastefully and then gave her a look that made her think she could very-well be an alien.

"I'm Gwyn," she introduced. He slowly took hold of her hand with a downturn present on his lips. If she guessed right, he wasn't very fond of kids.

"Gennaro. Mr. Gennaro," he replied stiffly, not bothering to give his first name. The man beside Gennaro snorted and leaned forward, fixing him with a look.

"She's a kid, not a wild animal." Then, with a smile that could only be described as charming, he extended his hand to Gwyn. "Dr. Ian Malcolm." Gwyn returned the smile and shook his hand.

"Gwyn Grant."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Gwyn. I take it this is your father?" Ian turned to Alan, proffering his hand again. The helicopter shook as it took off, causing everyone to grab hold of something till it all went stable again; Ian held out his hand to Alan a second time, now that they were airborne.

"Dr. Alan Grant," he introduced, shaking the man's hand.

"I see we have two doctors in the house," Ian chuckled before turning his attentions on Ellie, smiling that charming smile again. "And you would be?" Ellie smiled and shook his hand.

"Dr. Ellie Sattler."

"Oh, _three_ then. How exciting. Now… are you both paleontologists?" Ian flicked a finger between the two of them as he reclined in his seat. Already done with the conversation, Gennaro sighed and listed to the side, sinking his head down to rest on his fist. He tried to make himself as small as possible as not to touch the two people he sat between, much to Gwyn's silent amusement.

"I'm a paleobotanist, more specifically, but, yes," Ellie replied, crossing her legs. Ian stroked his chin and then fixed the fit of his glasses, each of his movements as languid as a moving cat.

"How 'bout you, Gwyn? Are you a, uh, paleo-something-or-other?"

"One day," Gwyn said, leaning forward so she could see Ian. He chuckled, clapped, and pointed at her, nodding slowly.

"I like the way you think, kid. Looking forward to the future."

"Oh, god…" Gennaro sighed, looking slightly ill.

Conversation lapsed into silence for a short while, which left Gwyn to peer out of the helicopter windows. They were speeding above the ocean, which glittered beneath them as they sped towards the island. Hammond had yet to actually inform them of what the park actually was––or, at least, the small group of paleontologists had no clue––and they were getting antsy to see what exactly it was. Alan, Ellie, and Gwyn were all dressed in clothes worthy of working on a dig site, which were comfortable and easy to wear on many an occasion. Alan had taken to playing with the raptor claw he'd brought with him from the site, turning it over and over in his hands, slipping his fingers over the fossilized keratin.

"So, you two dig up dinosaurs?" Ian continued on, gesturing to Alan and Ellie again. Ellie laughed gently and looked down at her hands.

"Well…" she trailed off. Alan looked up and offered a fleeting smile.

"We try to."

Ian dissolved into a small fit of laughter, chewing on some gum he'd popped into his mouth a couple of moments before. Hammond gestured to the laughing fellow.

"You'll have to get used to Dr. Malcolm. He suffers from a _deplorable_ excess of personality. Especially for a mathematician," Hammond said with a cluck of his tongue.

" _Chaotician_. Chaotician. John doesn't subscribe to chaos, particularly what it has to say about his little science project," Ian corrected and informed, popping another piece of gum into his mouth before tossing one Gwyn's way with a wink. She smiled and caught it in both her hands, stretching her legs out to rest atop her father's. He arched an eyebrow and she matched the look with a brighter smile, placing the gum in between her molars.

"Codswallop, Ian!" Hammond dismissed. "You've never come close to explaining these concerns of yours about this island!"

"I certainly have. Very clearly. Because of the behaviour of the system in phase space," Ian immediately listed off, as though it were the simplest sentence in the world. Hammond waved him off and splayed a hand into the air.

"A load, if I may say so, of fashionable number crunching, that's all it is!" Ian began to poke at the older man's knee petulantly with a smirk on his lips.

"John, John, J––" His hand was swatted away.

"Don't do that!"

Alan's eyes widened as he stared at Dr. Malcolm from under the brim of his hat. He was acting more like a young child than Gwyn had ever displayed. He was acting the annoying, petulant, disruptive child that Alan detested, the kind the Gwyn never had been. Gwyn, who barely understood a work Ian said, was giggling quietly at his behavior, ducking her head to hide her smile.

"Dr. Sattler, Dr. Grant, you've heard of chaos theory?" Ian asked, turning his attention to the paleontologists again.

"No," Ellie admitted as Alan remained silent.

"No? Nonlinear equations, strange attraction?" Again, Ellie shrugged, which prompted Ian to smile again. "Dr. Sattler, I refuse to believe that _you_ aren't familiar with the concept of attraction." Ellie smiled down at her hands and then glanced over at Alan, who was rolling his eyes and shaking his head. She subtly slipped her hand into his to give it a tight squeeze, something that Gwyn noticed and smiled about.

" _I_ bring scientists, _you_ bring a rock-star," Hammond said pointedly to Gennaro. Gennaro looked like he was about to protest, but Hammond, with a gleam in his eye, pointed out the window. "There it is!"

Everyone turned to look out the window on the right hand side of the helicopter, gazing out at the island they approached. Isla Nublar wasn't horribly large, but it wasn't tiny either. Waves broke against the shore and the rocks that lined it, and mist clung to the lush forests that seemed to cover the entirety of it. The helicopter banked to the right and flew them towards a divide between two mountains, taking them closer to their destination. Gwyn stared out the window in utter awe, an unerasable grin stretched across her face. Everything was lush and green and dense, and it made her wonder just what was running around beneath all that foliage and just what sort of park it was that Hammond was openning. Alan watched her with a small smile on his face, glad to see her so excited and so happy. He slipped his sunglasses on and adjusted the bandana around his neck, already feeling the humidity. They hovered in one spot for a moment, just above a gushing waterfall that splattered into a small pool at the bottom. Next to said pool was a helicopter landing pad. Suddenly, the helicopter lurched downwards slightly.

"Bad wind sheers!" Hammond announced. "We have to drop pretty fast. So hold on, this can be just a _little_ thrilling." As if on cue, the helicopter dropped suddenly, causing everyone to jump. Ellie squeaked a little and Alan grabbed onto her knee for balance. "Yah-hoo!"

Gwyn gripped onto the edge of her seat, scrambling to put on the provided seat belt. Gennaro skittishly followed her lead, looking as though he very well may throw up. Everyone followed suit in varying degrees of calmness; Alan discovered that his seatbelt was just two clipping mechanisms, and no locking one. He sighed quietly as Hammond informed him of where the correct one was, and that, as he struggled, they would have landed before he got it right. So Alan settled with tying the two buckles into a knot around his waist, much to his daughter's amusement. He arched an eyebrow and playfully kicked her foot, which she returned with equally gentle force.

Once they'd landed, they all piled out, with Ellie donning her sunglasses, and Alan removing his hat so it wouldn't fly off. Gwyn slung her bag over one shoulder and turned around in a circle, staring at her surroundings. She had never been anywhere tropical before, and she felt as though she were in some tv show or another. The helicopter blades still spun overhead, whipping around her hair, which fell loose around her shoulders. The heat was stifling, nothing like she'd ever experienced, even in the middle of summer. Sweat was forming on her spine already, and gathering at the nape of her neck. The air smelled of foliage and dew, humidity and rain. It smelled exactly what she would have thought a jungle would smell like. After taking in her fill––for the moment––Gwyn followed her father, Ellie, and Ian to the open top jeeps that had been provided for transport. They were painted tan and red and the doors were embossed with the silhouette of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton and the words 'Jurassic Park.' Before Gwyn could question what on earth that meant, he was ushered into the jeep by a park attendant wearing a pink polo shirt. She was seated in the back of the vehicle between Alan and Ian, which was a bit of a squeeze, but it worked. Ellie sat in the front, unfolding a map as the jeeps roared to life and pushed them forward into the jungle laden lands before them.

 _ **Afterword:**_ _**And there's chapter two! I'm very, very happy so many of you seem interested in this story; I've got a certain love for this story that I just can't explain, and am unbelievably happy/flattered so many of you are interested in it!**_

 _ **Review Replies!**_

 **Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967:** _I'm glad you've enjoyed it thus far; hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks again!_

 **d0 it like a dude:** _I like writing Alan in dad mode, mostly because he doesn't really seem to realize that he's slipped into it. And it's interesting getting to write Gwyn as a younger child, you know? I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **CarlyJo:** _Aw, thank you, so much! It means a lot that you enjoy my style of writing. I've been working writing characters, and am glad it's paying off! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!_

 **InfinityMars:** _I feel like Alan as a dad is unexpectedly cute. 'Cause he totally doesn't think he's fit to be a father, but he totally, actually is. It's all pure instinct to him, but he doesn't realize how good of a father he is yet. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **jessica18971:** _Super happy you've enjoyed thus far! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Thanks again!_

 _ **And thank you to those who added this to their favorites/follows; it means a lot!**_

 _ **And that's all for now! Next up we delve into the Park, and the excitement begins. We get more Dad!Alan moments, and I just love writing those. I hope to get the next chapter up fairly soon, since I have a good portion of the third chapter up. Anyway, thank you all for taking the time to read! You all rock!  
~Mary**_


	3. Dream Come True

_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind._

3\. Dream Come True

Gwyn bounced up and down in her seat in excitement, craning her neck to see what they were approaching. Ian teasingly placed his hand on the top of her head to keep her still, making a joke about potential and kinetic energy. Alan rolled his eyes and pointed ahead of them to draw Gwyn's attention to the road ahead. There was a fence easily thirty feet tall, where thick wires ran between support beams, at the top of which were two colored lights––one orange, and one blue. They pulsated rhythmically, one at a time, and made a slight buzzing sound. Large signs were attached to the fence as well, reading: DANGER: 10,000 VOLTS. There was a cage-like section that operated like a gate, big enough to allow the jeeps through. As they were ushered through, Gwyn tipped her head back and smiled at the cloudless sky that shone above them. She had no clue as to what was in store for them––for all they knew it was some Indiana Jones-esque sort of place––but she was undeniably excited. Even if the park ended up being deathly boring, it was exciting enough to be in a tropical location. It was filled with plants and geological… _things_ that Gwyn had never seen before.

"What do you think the fence is for?" Gwyn asked, craning around to stare over Hammond and Gennaro's jeep. Alan did the same, staring at the industrial fence that stretched into the thick jungle around them.

"I don't know…" he murmured, a slight furrow forming between his brows.

As they trundled along the uneven dirt roads, Ellie reached out a hand and snatched a leaf stalk off a passing plant. She held it up at face level, eyes narrowing as she observed its veining and fronds and whatnot, turning it this way and that to get a full view on it. Gwyn stretched forward in her seat, resting her elbows on the driver's and passenger's seats, ignoring Alan's protest of her moving around so much in a moving vehicle that had no roof. The eleven year old peered over Ellie's shoulder, staring at the piece of foliage she was pinching between her fingers and observing over the tops of her sunglasses.

"What kind of leaf is it?" Gwyn asked. Ellie shook her head in disbelief as she pinched one of the small leafs between her pointer finger and thumb.

"It's a alethopteris valida. But it's… from the carboniferous era––at _least_ three-hundred-fifty-nine million years ago…" Ellie trailed off, handing it off to Gwyn. She pressed a fist to her mouth as Gwyn turned it over in her own hands, offering up a small shrug. It didn't look much different than anything she'd encountered before.

"It looks like a fern," Gwyn pointed out flatly, a tone in her voice that greatly reminded the paleobotanist of Alan. Gwyn took after Alan so greatly that it sometimes took people aback; but Ellie just found it incredibly endearing. Ellie nodded and shifted in her seat so she could face Gwyn better, adjusting her sunglasses, which had slid down the bridge of her nose.

"Well, it _is_. But it's a seed fern and thus a part of an extinct family of gymnosperms. These ferns used to reproduce with seeds instead of, say, pollination," Ellie explained. She shook her head and bit lightly at her thumb-nail. "But… it's been extinct for… millions of years… this shouldn't be here…"

Gwyn was thrown back into her seat as the jeep switched to an alternate, more off-road route. Alan caught his daughter and curled an arm around her middle to hold her down as the jeep bounced again. Gwyn grabbed hold of his sleeve and cast Ian an apologetic look, seeing as she'd accidentally kicked him in the knee. Alan glared at the back of the driver's head through his aviator sunglasses.

"Hey, could you be more careful?" he shot forward at the employee. The driver just smiled at the paleontologist in the rear-view mirror.

"Sorry 'bout that. The terrain is gonna be a bit bumpy for a little bit," he told them. Alan peered out of the jeep and noticed that they were no longer on any sort of devised path.

"There's no road," Alan pointed out. The driver just smiled and continued to navigate their way over rocky, bumpy ground. "I said, _there's no road._ "

"I know," the driver chuckled. Ellie stared at the man for a moment before snatching up a map from off the dashboard. She traced the road they'd been on moments before with her finger… there were no other roads branching off from it. No other paths. They were _officially_ off road. But something else caught the paleobotanist's eye––another plant that shouldn't have been there. Reaching out again, she snagged a leaf, that was the size of both her hands, and stared at it in awe. Gwyn, who was now sitting at an awkward angle whilst tucked into Alan's side, shared a look with her father.

The jungle thinned out, eventually opening up to vast grass land and rolling hills. Trees dotted the landscape, lush and green, providing pools of shade here and there. The sky had just barely begun to cloud over, though it didn't seem to threaten rain; if anything, it made the atmosphere cooler, more bearable. The jeep crested a hill and then carefully climbed down it, jumping as it met the bottom and then hung a left around a tree. Gwyn was boredly twirling the fern stalk in her hand, wondering if Ellie––as brilliant as she was––had made a mistake about the type of plant it was. Because if this type of plant had been extinct for as long as Ellie said it had been, there wasn't any conceivable way for it to be there on the island. The jeep suddenly rolled to a stop, leaving them paused in the middle of a grassy field.

"This shouldn't be here…" Ellie murmured, still staring down at the map, not taking a good glance at their surroundings.

But Alan wasn't distracted by strange plants. He was free to look around, and what he saw just about stopped his heart from the jolt of shock, awe, and excitement it received. He slowly began to turn in his seat, facing the edge of the open top jeep, reaching out a hand to grasp the side. His brows drew themselves together as he spotted a large creature grazing at one of the trees. No, it wasn't large… it was _massive,_ gargantuan. It was grey in color, standing on four thick legs, and its neck was long and curved. Alan whipped off his hat and dropped it into Gwyn's lap, which drew her out of her staring match with the fern. Her father grabbed hold of the jeep's roof framing and hauled himself upward, whipping off his sunglasses once he was fully up. Gwyn craned her head around her father to see what he was seeing, but was blocked by his legs.

"Alan, this species of veriform has been extinct since the cretaceous period. I mean this thing––" Ellie was cut off when Alan physically took hold of her head with one hand and turned it to the left, directing her gaze somewhere else. What she saw made her drop the leaf and scramble to stand up on her seat. Her sunglasses were then discarded and forgotten on the floor; and _that_ was when Gwyn saw it.

A brachiosaurus.

Gwyn's mouth dropped open as it peacefully lumbered by, stopping at a tree not but a hundred feet away to munch on the top leaves. Reaching up, she took hold of Alan's shirt sleeve and tugged. And tugged again. She continued to tug frantically till he acknowledged with a slight nod that he saw what she was seeing. Alan then jumped out of the jeep and reached back, arms extended for Gwyn as he kept an eye on the utterly _impossible_ creature that stood before them. Gwyn walked straight into her father's waiting hands, grabbed his shoulders, and allowed him to pull her from the jeep. It couldn't be possible. What they were seeing couldn't be possible. While cautiously approaching it a few steps behind her father, Gwyn couldn't help but grin. Her heart was thrumming, her cheeks were hurting, and a thrilling sense of wonder was building up in her chest. Alan turned to face Ellie and Gwyn and pointed up to the brachiosaurus with awe plain on his face; he looked like a little boy who had just seen his favorite superhero in person.

"It's a dinosaur…" Alan murmured. Ellie nodded and uttered a shocked,

"Uh-huh…"

"That's…" Gwyn murmured in awe, stumbling forward a few steps. "That's a brachiosaurus!" As she continued to step towards the massive long-necked herbivore, Alan immediately lurched forward and grabbed hold of her wrist, drawing her back against his chest. He placed both hands on her shoulders and squeezed, conveying both a silent plea to stay put and his own excitement. "Dad… that's a brachiosaurus!"

"I know… I know!" he exclaimed excitedly, the two Grants grinning like crazy. The brachiosaurus was Gwyn's favorite dinosaur. She didn't know how this was possible, but it was _real_. She could she flesh move and muscle shift under thick, wrinkled, grey skin. Could feel the ground shake as it moved its giant feet. Hear its groaning call as it opened its mouth and munched on leaves and branches. It was _real_ ; and Gwyn had never felt so excited in her life. It was like getting to see your favorite exotic animal at the zoo, but ten thousand times better; it was seeing the most exotic, impossible creature on earth. Letting go of his daughter's shoulders, Alan moved forward till he stood at a distance that could be classified as too close. He shielded his eyes from the now present sun and tilted his head back to stare up its impossibly long neck. "Ellie, we can tear up the rule book on cold-bloodedness; it doesn't apply, they're totally wrong! This is a warm blooded creature. They're totally wrong!"

"This thing doesn't live in a swamp!" Ellie laughed in disbelief. Gwyn wound her arms around Ellie's waist, grinning up at the dinosaur in front of them. Ellie stroked a hand over Gwyn's hair, which had been in a relatively neat braid until the wind from riding in the jeep had tugged a number of strands out of it. Gwyn hugged her tighter, laughing excitedly. Hammond stepped up behind the three and grinned proudly.

"That thing's got a, what, twenty-five, twenty-seven foot neck?" Alan asked Hammond.

"The brachiosaur? Thirty," he corrected with a happy, but matter-of-fact tone. Alan laughed in happy disbelief, threading fingers through the front of his hair to brush it off his forehead.

They all watched as the brachiosaurus rose up on its hind legs and rose a couple more feet, biting down on the top most branches of the skinny-trunked tree. Gwyn placed both hands over her mouth to hide what she was sure was a goofy looking grin. It was so agile! So sure of its movements. Gwyn laughed when the impact of its feet meeting the ground again made them all stumble. She didn't recover from the stumble too well, though. She fell flat on her bottom, but that didn't bother her in the least bit.

"How fast?" Gwyn asked, pointing to the brachiosaurus excitedly. It lowered its head slightly and looked down at the comparitively tiny humans below itself, staring at them with glossy eyes as it munched on its leafy meal.

"How fast are they?" Alan asked at the same time as his daughter, sounding out of breath from how excited he was. The look on Hammond's face clearly displayed how blatantly proud he was that this was all going so brilliantly.

"Well, we clocked the t-rex at thirty-two miles an hour," Hammond mentioned casually, stepping forward. Gwyn's head snapped towards the white-haired man who stood to her right, mouth gaping in the most characature manner humanly possible. Ellie slowly turned to face the older man, mouth slack, steps wobbly.

"T… _t-rex?_ " Ellie stuttered.

"Mm-hm!"

Ellie leaned forward and held out a hand. "You said you've got a t-rex?"

"Uh-huh!"

Alan lurched forward and grabbed the shorter man by both arms. He made eye-contact with him and held his gaze with the intensity of a steel trap. No one could deny the hope that the famous paleontologist had growing in his chest. "Say it again." Hammond grinned at the alan.

"We have a t-rex!"

Alan swayed on his feet and listed forward, catching himself by bracing his hands against his knees; he looked as though he might actually faint. While he hunched over, Ellie rushed forward to place a hand on his back, gently telling him to put his head between his knees. Gwyn had placed both hands on her head, mind spinning at everything that had just happened in the span of a minute. With a solid flop, she let herself fall backwards so she was lying absolutely prone in the grass, laughing as she stared up at the sky. She'd just seen a real living, breathing brachiosaurus, and now she was just told that they had a _t-rex?_ A tyrannosaurus rex! The… kings and queens of the dinosaurs! And this island––this park had one! Gwyn rolled onto her hands and knees and crawled towards her father and Ellie, knowing that if she stood, she'd probably just fall right back over in excitement.

"Dr. Grant, Gwyn, and my dear Dr. Sattler… welcome to Jurassic Park!" Hammond said, staring out at the gorgeous dinosaur filled lands before them.

Alan, who had sat down and put his head between his knees for a brief moment, slowly looked up when they heard another destinctive cry. In a valley below them was a glittering pool of water, through which two more brachiosaurs waded; it the shores of said pond was a herd–– _a herd_ ––of parasaurolophus. Alan's eyes glazed over with tears of what Gwyn assumed were pure, unadulterated joy. Gwyn rose to her knees behind her father and wound her arms tightly around his shoulders, grinning the brightest grin he'd ever seen on her face. He reached up and clasped her wrist in his palm, relaxing backwards so she could place her chin on his shoulder. Ellie crouched down beside the father and daughter with a grin, watching as the parasaurolophus moved closer to the water's edge.

"They move in herds…" Alan murmured to himself happily, staring at the parasaurolophus. "They _do_ move in herds." Turning his head slightly towards Hammond, his next words were directed at said man. "How did you do this?"

"I'll show you," he assured in a reverently quiet voice.

Alan rose to his feet with Ellie's help and then turned to face his daughter, who was trying desperately––and failing––to wipe the excited grin off her face. She tilted her head back to look up at her father, laughing joyfully.

"There are dinosaurs," she said, still sounding shocked. "Real living dinosaurs, dad! This is… is my dream come true–– _our_ dream come true!"

Alan grinned and reached down, sweeping his daughter off the ground. He twirled her around once, causing her to giggle, before holding her to his chest, clasping her head to his shoulder. He hadn't seen her so happy in a very long time, and to see see her grinning made him grin as well. Bending his head, Alan kissed Gwyn's shoulder and then her temple, feeling her wind her arms around his neck just a bit tighter. Glancing Ellie's way, he saw that she was smiling sweetly, hands placed on her hips. He returned the smile as they made their way back towards the jeeps, sparing glances back at the brachiosaurus behind them. Gwyn simply stared up at it as her father carried her away, eyes glittering with wonder. There wasn't anything in the world that could have made her happier to have been there with her father and Ellie. Everything was simply… _amazing_. It was a dream come true, as she'd just said. Her heart was thrumming with excitement, her mind was working in the most pleasant form of overdrive, and as they got back into the jeeps and made for the road again, Gwyn could barely think of a single thing that could have ruined her day.

 _ **Afterword:**_ _**There's chapter three! I've still been having so much fun writing this story; it's just so much fun to write Alan and Ellie and kid!Gwyn. Writing Gwyn this young is challenging, but a good kind of challenging. I hope you all had a fun time reading!**_

 _ **Review Replies!**_

 **CarlyJo:** _I'm glad the pacing it going well! I feel like the movie almost divides itself up really well and that makes it easy to pace; though, with this chapter I was tempted to write further, but realized that it would be awkward to end when they just arrive at the visitor's center. But, regardless, I'm glad that you're enjoying it! Thanks again!_

 **d0 it like a dude:** _So relieved that I wrote Ian well! 'Cause he's so specifiically…_ _ **Ian**_ _that I was worried I wouldn't nail his personality or get close to it. I'm gonna get some good moments between Ellie and Gwyn, since Ellie is, most certainly, Gwyn's mother figure. And I figured that Gwyn probably wouldn't have been in the third Jurassic Park movie 'cause she probably would have been… probably 19-ish(?) and headed off to/in college and Alan, for the life of him, would not let her remotely close to the islands again. I do know I'll do a couple of scenes with Gwyn in them during the third movie… like she'll be chilling with Ellie while Alan's away and panicks when she finds out that he's_ _ **on**_ _the island. But… I hadn't thought of her being in the second one… that would actually be fairly interesting. Especially if she was interning/visiting Ian when all that went down. I'll give it some thought, that might be cool to write. Thanks for the ideas! I love it when people throw ideas out there, it's a lot of fun to bounce ideas off people :) Thanks again!_

 **InfinityMars:** _She will definitely get along with Lex and Tim, and she'll probably seem a tad more mature than them. Also, her protectiveness over Tim, since she's older than him, will definitely come into play into a key moment. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967:** _I'm glad you've enjoyed it thus far! I hope you keep on reading; thanks again!_

 **jessica18971:** _I'm happy that you're enjoying Gwyn and Alan having father/daughter moments––they're so much fun to write! And, thank you so very, very, very, very much for thinking/saying I have a gift! :D It literally means so much to me! Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

 **1066AndAllThat:** _Glad that you're enjoying the story so far! I hope you were pleased with the chapter; thanks again!_

 **The Auburn Girl:** _Dad!Alan is probably my new weakness in terms of writing. I have so much planned for this story, though I have hit a bit of a snag at one point on how to properly get Gwyn in place in a scene… gotta figure that out and soon, ahahaha! But it's gonna be great fun to write either way it goes. I hop eyou enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **NicoleR85:** _Gwyn thinks its a pretty good deal so far; just wait till it all goes to shit… and that's when all the tense fun begins! I'm glad you've been enjoying it so far! Thanks again!_

 **Lanariel Greenleaf:** _Super happy you're enjoying it so far! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!_

 _ **And thank you to those who added this to their favorites/follows; it means a lot to me!**_

 _ **So that's it for now! We inch ever closer to the horrors of Jurassic Park… and I've got such plans. It's definitely gonna get feelsy up in here; especially when Gwyn gets that scar… I hope you all enjoyed reading the chapter! Thanks again for taking the time to read!**_

 _ **~Mary**_


	4. Rock-a-Bye Raptor

_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind._

4\. Rock-a-Bye Raptor

"We can finally see if brachiosaurs eat foliage below its full neck height!" Gwyn enthused as the jeep rolled up to the visitor's center. "Scientists were never able to tell because… well… all the dinosaurs are dead–– _were_ dead! Now we've got the chance to–to see just whatever it is we've gotten wrong! Scientists weren't sure if brachiosaurs could rear on their hind legs…"

Alan beamed down at her and ducked his head so their foreheads were pressed together. "And look at what they've done," he chuckled, grinning the brightest grin Gwyn had possibly ever seen on his face. Gwyn giggled excitedly as they came to a stop in front of the visitor's center. The building was built out of white stone, the windows were tall and spotless, and the cone shaped roofs looked like they were thatched with some sort or reed or straw. Three small flights of stone steps lead up to an ornate door the handle of which was shaped vaguely in an egg shape, which mimicked the design that had been set into the doors. Around those doors was meticulously carved stone to look like jurassic era foliage as well as a tyrannosaurus-rex skeleton at the top. A handful of workers were doing finishing touches on exterior walls, but, otherwise, everything about the building seemed perfect.

They followed Hammond up the steps with their bags in hand, the doors being pulled open by two park employees on the inside. The main lobby was spacious, with a set of stairs that curved up to a second floor. There were two skeletons occupying the center of the room––one of a tyrannosaurus-rex, the other of a sauropod––that were having the finishing touches put on them by a small number of workers who stood on hanging platforms. There was scaffolding throughout the lobby, numerous workers continuing to work on plastering and painting walls, polishing floors, and making sure everything was spotless. A banner hung overhead, reading 'When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth' in big red letters. Gwyn felt another thrill go up her spine when she saw the fully assembled skeletons dangling from the wires they were set up on. All of it had been perfectly too much––it felt like a dream that she didn't want to wake up from. She wanted to giggle and run about, wanted to see each dinosaur that called the island home. She wanted to sit down and just _watch_ them, see how they moved, hear how they sounded, _smell_ how they smelled; it was all too much, and she _loved_ it.

"This is the most advanced amusement park in the world, combining _all_ the latest technologies," Hammond explained as they headed for the grand, curving staircase that wrapped itself around one side of the sauropod skeleton. "I'm not talking just about rides, you know. _Everybody_ has rides. No, _we_ have made living biological attractions so _astounding_ that they'll capture the imagination of the entire planet!"

As they climbed the stairs, Ellie smiled at the back of Alan's head. "So, what're you thinking?" she asked him. Alan chuckled and glanced over his shoulder at her.

"That we're out of a job," he deadpanned jokingly. There was a note of seriousness in his voice, however. If this was _truly_ the future… then what he'd just said would be true. Ian threw up a finger and looked to Alan, whom he was walking beside.

"Don't you mean 'extinct'?" Ian inquired cheekily. Alan rolled his eyes, a faint smirk rising to his lips at the horrible pun that Ian had put out there. Gwyn giggled at the charming man's comment. Ellie then smiled down at her, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear before tugging out a blade of grass that had gotten stuck in her braid.

"How about you? What do you think?" Gywn grinned up at Ellie and excitedly took another look at the room around them. Her excitement could not be put into words that she could easily convey. Perhaps if she were older and had a better list of descriptive words, Gwyn would have been able to do her feelings justice, but she had to settle for a downplayed version.

"I love it. I haven't seen all of it, but I _love_ it!" she giggled, beaming as wide as her lips could allow. A childish glee had filled her eyes, an emotion that was so bright and pure and beautiful. Ellie laughed and placed her hand fondly on the girl's shoulder, keeping her close to her side as they reached the landing. Gwyn wound an arm around Ellie's middle and the two continued to chat as they followed Hammond towards 'the presentation room' as he called it.

Alan glanced over his shoulder at the two and found his lips naturally drawn into a smile. He knew that Ellie would make a fantastic mother. Such a thought was only reinforced by the fact that she had been acting as one to Gwyn for such a long time. It would come as no surprise to him if Gwyn told him that Ellie was her mother figure. The two were already so close and inseparable at times. She ran crying to Ellie just as much as she ran crying to Alan. Albeit, the paleobotanist handled it with more grace than he did, but he did have his moments. It always warmed his heart and his chest when he saw the two together, smiling over this and laughing over that. It was a shame that Gwyn would never get the chance to meet her biological mother, seeing as she had passed away not too long after Gwyn's birth; but Alan was inexplicably glad that she had someone like Ellie to lovingly play the part––for lack of a better phrase. Ellie wasn't playing a role or a part, she was genuinely happy to be there for aspiring paleontologist. They genuinely loved one another.

The presentation room was a small auditorium with a number of seats facing a screen that displayed the Jurassic Park logo. It was pleasantly air conditioned, and everyone slipped into the seats as Hammond ushered them to do so. Gwyn sat between Alan and Ellie, excitedly clutching the arms of her chair. Unlike the kids in her classes, she had a love for documentaries, so whatever it was she was about to watch was likely to capture her attention. As they sat down, Hammond gestured to the screen excitedly.

"Oh, here he comes! Here _I_ come," he amended. As he said, on the screen, a video image of himself appeared, all smiles and excitement.

" _Hello!_ " said the virtual Hammond with a laugh. The real Hammond approached the screen and waved a hand at his tiny audience in a prompting manner.

"Say hello!"

One by one, they all awkwardly said 'hello,' in tern. Ellie had slipped on her glasses and Gwyn had excitedly pulled her knees up to her chest. Alan placed both his hands atop her knees and pushed down gently, a quiet order to keep her muddy boots off the brand new seats. Gwyn, too excited to be deterred, followed his silent request and watched the screen avidly.

" _Hello, John!_ " said virtual Hammond, turning to the left as though he were facing the real version of himself.

"Oh!" Hammond murmured, searching around for a set of note cards stored away in his pocket. He slipped his glasses into place and then extracted the small set of cards. "I've got lines."

" _I'm fine, I guess. But, uh, how did I get here?_ "

Hammond finished flipping through the cards that displayed his lost lines and arrived at the one he was supposed to say next. "Uh… well, let me show you. First, I'll need a drop of blood. _Your_ blood." Virtual Hammond gestured to himself as though he was surprised. He then held out his hand as the real Hammond leaned forward and pretended to prick his finger.

" _John, that hurt,_ " virtual Hammond told him. Gwyn giggled quietly and leaned forward so she could rest her forearms on the the top of a metal bar in front of her. Her chin rested atop her arms and she gnawed at her bottom lip silently.

"Relax, John. It's all part of the miracle of cloning!"

On screen, one by one, more Hammonds stepped out from behind the original virtual one, as though he were being cloned. Alan leaned to the side, facing Ellie and Ian as Gwyn watched the film play out on screen.

"Cloning from what? Loy extraction has never recreated an intact DNA strand!" Alan murmured to his colleague and acquaintance. As they spoke, Hammond retreated to the seats, leaning heavily on his cane.

"Not without massive sequence gaps," agreed Ian in a hushed voice.

"Paleo-DNA… from what source? Where do you get one-hundred million year old dinosaur blood?" Ellie inquired as they all sat forward in their seats and faced front again. Behind them Gennaro––who had taken up Gwyn's way of sitting––hissed out a 'shhh!'

On screen a whoosh of colorful little dots swirled out of virtual Hammond's 'pin-pricked' finger. Gwyn cocked her head to the side curiously as the dots flew to the other side of the screen to form a double-helix strand with arms, hands, and eyes. It zipped about a moment, and virtual Hammond laughed a bit.

" _Oh! Mr. DNA! Where did you come from?_ " virtual Hammond asked.

" _From your blood! Just one drop of your blood contains_ _ **billions**_ _of strands of DNA, the building blocks of life! A DNA strand, like me, is a blueprint for building a living thing! And sometimes animals that went extinct millions of years ago, like dinosaurs, left their blueprints behind for us to find! We just had to know where to look!_ " Mr. DNA informed brightly. The video switched over to a fully animated production to explain the process of how they were able to bring dinosaurs back to life. Gwyn, in her excitement, sat too far forward and slipped off the edge of her seat. She caught herself, brushed away Ellie's concerned hand, and returned to her enthralled seating position. " _A hundred million years ago, there were mosquitoes, just like today. And, just like today, they fed on the blood of animals. Even dinosaurs! Sometimes, after biting a dinosaur, the mosquito would land on a branch of a tree, and get stuck in the sap! After a long time, the tree sap would get hard and become fossilized, just like a dinosaur bone, preserving the mosquito inside!_ " The film cut to footage of a lab somewhere, where scientists cut into hunks of amber containing the mentioned mosquitos. " _This fossilized tree sap––which we call amber waited millions of years, with the mosquito inside until Jurassic Park's scientists came along! Using sophisticated techniques, they extract the preserved blood from the mosquito, and––_ " the footage showed a large needle being inserted into the amber surrounded mosquito, drawing away the blood that remained inside it, " _bingo! Dino DNA!_ "

Gwyn would later deny the fact that her mouth had been hanging agape as the science was explained, but it would be a lie. She was in awe of what she was hearing and watching, all of it making complete sense. Of _course_ that would be how they got the DNA! Of course! What better source than a mosquito that has been _perfectly_ preserved for millions of years?

" _A full DNA strand contains three billion genetic codes! If we looked at screens like these once a second for eight hours a day, it'd take two years to look at the entire strand! It's that long! And since it's so old, it's full of holes! That's where our geneticists take over! Thinking machine supercomputers and gene sequencers break down the strand in minutes––and virtual reality displays show our geneticists the gaps in the DNA sequence! Since most animal DNA is ninety percent identical, we use the complete DNA of a frog––_ "

"What kind of frog?" Gwyn wondered out loud, a thumb pressed to her lips. She sat back in her seat and tilted her head to the side.

"–– _to fill in the holes and complete the code! Whew! And now, we can make a baby dinosaur!_ "

"This score is only temporary. It's all very dramatic, of course––da dum da dum da dum dum––a march or something, it's not written yet, and the tour moves on!" Hammond pressed a button and the metal bar that Gwyn had previously been leaning against moved forward to be placed across their laps––almost like a rollercoaster ride. Similar bars came down across the laps of the others and the seats shifted sideways. They peered through a window that allowed them a look at the laboratory, where scientists buzzed about doing this and that. Some compared charts, others worked over test tubes.

" _Our fertilization department is where the dinosaur DNA takes the place of the DNA in unfertilized emu or ostrich eggs––_ " Gwyn perked up even more when they moved further to the side towards another laboratory, in which scientists gingerly carried around large eggs that contained baby dinosaurs inside. She strained as far out of her seat as possible, positively quaking with excitement. She had to get a closer look––no, she _needed_ to! "–– _and then it's on to the nursery, where we welcome the dinosaurs back into the world!_ " They were swept further away from the lab, the wall disrupting their view of the laboratory. Alan's hand shot out and a question bumbled out of his lips.

"Wait a minute! How do you interrupt the cellular mitosis?!" he asked Hammond, twisting around in his seat.

"Can you tell what kind of dinosaur you're getting just from the DNA?" Gwyn inquired.

"Can't we see the unfertilized eggs?!" Ellie queried.

"Shortly, shortly…" Hammond assured patiently.

All of the adults in the front row were just as excited as the only child amongst them. They wanted to get out of the seats and go see everything first hand and up close. Alan strained to push the bar off his lap and let out a frustrated huff when the attempt proved fruitless.

"Can't you stop this thing!?" he demanded.

"Sorry! It's sort of a _ride_ …" Hammond trailed off. Alan and Ian shared a look and, together, they forced the lap bars upwards, causing the locking mechanisms to squeal unpleasantly. In any other situation, both Ellie and Gwyn might have protested at them doing such a thing, but the two were too excited to care. The four in the front row jumped to their feet and made for the door, fully ignoring Gennaro's call of 'you can't do that!'

Hammond managed to push his way to the front of the excited group and led them into the laboratory. They were led down the stairs as an announcement played over the intercom; every scientist was working diligently and efficiently, doing their respective job with precision and ease. It was amazing to watch, Gwyn thought to herself, as she followed closely behind her father.

"Good day, Henry," Hammond greeted one of the scientists.

"Oh, good day, sir!" Henry Wu replied enthusiastically as he erased something off of his clipboard. He was young, likely in his twenties, and of Asian descent; he used the side of his hand to brush the eraser shavings off the document on the clipboard. Gwyn glanced his way and caught hold of his gaze. He tilted his head to the side, arched an eyebrow and looked as though he might've crossed his arms if he weren't holding the clipboard. "Aren't you a bit young to be in here, little lady?" Gwyn's eyes widened in as much indignance as she could have at her age and held her chin a little higher. 'Little lady.' She didn't like that; it made her feel small and unwanted.

"She's the daughter of a paleontologist, Henry, she can be trusted!" Hammond assured, sending a wink Gwyn's way. "I'm sure she's very practiced in being careful." Gwyn nodded to the older man before turning to look at the scientist with a narrowed gaze.

"I'm eleven, I'm _perfectly_ old enough," she shot back. Wu's lips quirked to the side in a heavy smirk and he held up his hands as though he were admitting defeat. Gwyn spun on her heel and jogged forward a couple more steps. She gripped onto Alan's belt so she could keep up with him. Just then, he had begun to move slowly, leaning forward as they approached a most curious device. It appeared to be an open-topped incubator, with the eggs settled in grass and moss to cradle them. A bright light and heat lamp hovered over it and a device whizzed around the edges, a sturdy but gentle claw picking up and rotating the eggs inside.

"It's turning the eggs," Ellie noted. Gwyn caught sight of one particular egg, near the edge, had begun to wobble about. Her hand tightened around Alan's belt excitedly and she thrust a finger outwards to point to it.

"Dad, look!" she exclaimed in hushed excitement. Alan's eyes widened and the two Grants took a few side steps to gain a closer look. The large egg rocked back and forth, the creature inside of it trying to break through.

"Oh, perfect timing!" Wu praised with a bright smile, gesturing to the incubator. "I'd hoped they'd hatch before I had to go to the boat."

"Henry, Henry, Henry! Why didn't you tell me?" Hammond stepped forward and slipped on a pair of plastic gloves. "I _insist_ on being here when they're born." The claw stretched forward and gently took hold of the egg, as though to prevent it from falling over. "Come on… come on! Come on, little one!"

Gwyn watched in wide-eyed awe as something managed to crack the shell in one particular spot. The shell and membrane stretched forward as the creature inside tried to break through. A tiny little squeak was emitted and Gwyn bit down on the insides of her cheeks to keep from gasping in unadulterated excitement. She was witnessing the birth of a dinosaur. A _dinosaur!_ What human could say they watched a dinosaur be born? Answer: very, very few. And she was now one of them. Hammond leaned closer and continued to murmur word of encouragement as though the ancient creature would understand what he was saying. Finally, out of the shell, appeared a head.

"Oh, my god…" Ellie murmured excitedly. Gwyn giggled as a tiny clawed hand appeared and weakly pushed at the shell. She immediately wondered what sort of dinosaur it must be, with its wide golden eyes and its tiny claws. Hammond chuckled happily and reached out to gently pull away the cracked portions of shell. They were all hovering over the newly hatched creature, which stretched its head upwards and let out a croaking cry.

"They… _imprint_ on the first creature they come in contact with," Hammond informed as the baby dinosaur began to gain its bearings. It twisted and pushed around, trying to fully free itself from its previous confinement. Alan pointed at himself in boyish hope that _he_ was the first creature the dinosaur saw. Gwyn giggled and nudged his side with her elbow. It was _clearly_ Mr. Hammond that it had come in contact with first… though, it would be exciting if it were, say, _her_. "It helps them to trust me. I've been present for the birth of _every_ little creature on this island!"

"Surely not the ones that have bred in the wild?" Ian inquired. Wu swept up to stand beside Gwyn, beaming brightly as he prepared to answer Ian's question. Gwyn gave him as shifty a look an eleven year-old could manage. His earlier comment still rubbed her the wrong way.

"Actually, they can't breed in the wild. Population control is one of our security precautions here. There is no unauthorized breeding in Jurassic Park," Wu informed them.

"How do you know they can't breed?"

"Well, because all the animals in Jurassic Park are female. We've engineered them that way."

Gwyn resisted the urge to lean closer as Hammond fully removed the baby dinosaur from its egg, cradling it in both of his palms with all the gentleness in the world. Alan reached out to place his fingers just beneath the creature's jaw, feeling the temperature of its skin.

"Blood temperature feels like high eighties," he hypothesized as Wu handed Hammond some tissues.

"Ninety-one," Wu corrected.

"Homeopathic? It holds that temperature?" Ellie inquired. Wu nodded his confirmation. Gwyn stretched up on her toes and craned her head forward to try and get a better look at the dinosaur Hammond cradled in his hands. It was slowly stretching all of its limbs, gaining a grasp on the world it now found itself living it. What a beautiful thing to have witnessed… the birth of an animal that had not set foot on this earth for _millions_ of years. To see it take its first breath, cry its first cry, stretch its limbs for the first time… it was awe-inspiring.

"But again, how do you know they're all female? Does someone go into the park and, uh––pull up the dinosaurs' skirts?" Ian asked. Alan sent him a sharp look for saying something mildly crude in front of his young daughter. Ian didn't seem to notice. Gwyn hadn't seemed to notice either, having been too interested in watching Hammond wipe the baby clean with soft sheets of tissue.

"We control their chromosomes," Wu informed. "All vertebrate embryos are inherently female anyway. It takes an extra hormone at the right developmental stage to create a male, and we simply deny them that."

"Deny them that?" Ellie asked quietly, almost sounding sad. Ian, who had gone to sit on a nearby stool, turned his attention to the man who owned the whole of the island.

"John, the kind of control you're attempting is not possible. If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, it expands to new territories, It crashes through barriers. Painfully, maybe even… dangerously, but uh… well, there it is," Ian gestured to the dinosaur eggs.

"You're implying that a group composed _entirely_ of female animals will… _breed_?" Wu asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"No, I'm simply saying that life, uh… _finds a way_."

Hammond nodded to a small box of plastic gloves sitting on the edge of the incubator; Alan immediately pulled out a pair, and Hammond smiled at the youngest Grant.

"Would you like to hold her?" he asked. Gwyn's eyes widened.

"Can I?" she asked in a hushed voice that barely contained her excitement. Hammond nodded and she immediately began to pull on a pair of gloves far too big for her hands. Wu perked up from where he was doing more paperwork, brows pinching together.

"Are you… sure you want to let her do that?" Wu asked hammond. Gwyn shot him a dry look over the incubator, one that nearly perfectly mimicked the one Alan had just given to Ian. "She's only eleven."

"And I assure you that she'll be very careful. Correct, Gwyn?"

"Absolutely, Mr. Hammond," she agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

"It's settled then." Wu seemed to hide a grimace as he turned back to his paperwork. "Just cup your hands together… yes, like that. Now, be sure to support the head, just as you would a human baby…" Hammond carefully transferred the dinosaur into Gwyn's hands.

A quiet gasp left Gwyn's mouth as she felt the creature's body heat permeate through the thin plastic gloves. The dinosaur stretched out its quaking limbs and let out a quiet little cry as it repeatedly blinked its eyes. She could feel its tiny muscles twitching, feel its skin crinkle as it turned its head this way and that. She was holding a dinosaur… a bonafide, living, breathing _dinosaur_. Her heart was pounding, her lips were quirking into a smile. It had to have been the best moment of her life thus far, and she never wanted to forget it. The infant looked up at Gwyn with mottled golden eyes and snake-like pupils, observing her with a gaze shockingly acute for a creature that had just hatched. Alan watched from over her shoulder, just as awestruck as his daughter. That awe slowly began to morph into something darker, something that sank into the pit of his stomach like a stone. Something that made him want his daughter as _far away_ from the dinosaur as possible. He thought of how its bone structure must be organized, what its skull must look like… he took note of the proportions of its limbs, and pieced together what kind of dinosaur his daughter was holding.

"Gwyn… may I?" Alan asked. Gwyn nodded and Hammond helped her pass the dinosaur off to her father. He held it in both his hands and observed it more closely for a fleeting moment as it peeped and stretched and gazed around. He dreaded the answer to the question he was about to ask. He quietly turned away from the incubator, feeling his own hands beginning to tremble as much as the infant dinosaur that he held in them.

"What species is it?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"Uh… it's a velociraptor," Wu informed casually, gesturing to the eggs with the end of his pencil.

The look that Gwyn watched overtake her father's face made her excitement drop a couple of notches. There was dread in his eyes, well hidden by the stern look that smoothed itself across his face and pinched his brows. The excitement dropped a couple notches more when she realized the weight of what Dr. Wu had just informed them. Velociraptors. They'd brought one of history's most dangerous species back to life, and they were being very casual about it.

"You bred raptors?" Alan asked in a deadly, flat voice. Wu looked back up and offered a simple nod. Slowly, Alan looked back down at the baby raptor in his hands and gently slid his finger over the top of its head. Through the euphoria and excitement he'd felt since seeing the brachiosaur, a cold, hard truth appeared: this was a dream that had every capability of becoming a nightmare.

 _ **Afterword:**_ _Sorry it's been so long! I haven't had access to the movie since I moved to the UK, and my wifi has been consistently terrible, so finding a version online was out. BUT, I've got it all worked out and have managed to finish this chapter! Huzzah! And so the terrifying adventure begins… well, not quite yet, but we're getting there!_

 _Review replies!_

 **Xx High By The Beach xX:** _I'll have to rewatch the second movie to see if it's at all possible to squeeze her in there somehow, even if I just put her in the scenes on the mainland. But, we'll get to that when it comes to it. I'm glad that I nailed the last chapter, and hope I managed to keep doing the film justice. Thanks again, I hope you enjoyed!_

 **1066AndAllThat:** _You've hit the nail on the head in regards to Alan's protectiveness––as the events of the movie progress, he'll get consistently more protective of her. Ahh, how the emotions shall arise. There'll be more scenes that allow Alan and Gwyn to bond, and scenes where they respectively realize things about the other, and I'm super excited to get to those moments. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **NicoleR85:** _Gwyn's really gonna have to prove her mettle once everything goes to hell; it'll serve to show how she may or may not react to what happens at Jurassic World down the line… and yes, actually, she will show up at the beginning of Jurassic Park III––she won't go to the island, but I plan on writing the scenes she could be fit into back on the mainland as she waits for her father to come home. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967:** _Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!_

 **Alex B. Goode:** _I will try to keep the work good :) I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!_

 **CarlyJo:** _I'm glad the last line came off as foreboding––it was supposed to. And I'm glad little Gwyn is loveable, I'm always like 'ack, she's a cinnamon roll, she doesn't deserve what's coming to her.' I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **RJNorth:** _Super glad that it seems like little Gwyn and adult Gwyn are the same person––I have to try really hard to picture a character of my own creation as a child… make sure the mannerisms are correct but also make sure that the mannerisms are age appropriate. I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!_

 **KD:** _Sorry for the wait! The move was really tiresome and I momentarily didn't have the ability to reference the movie. But I'm back! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!_

 **HappyElspeth:** _Thank you so much! I am very flattered by your previous review. I always strive to keep my writing as professional as I can, and I'm glad that I've maintained the balance between professional and fun. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!  
_ **MichelleJoy:** _I hope you enjoyed what more I've written! Thanks again!_

 **Gage the Hedgehog:** _Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the newest installment!_

 **LeviIsMySpiritAnimal:** _I'm glad you love it and hope you've stuck around despite my horrendous updating schedule. Thanks again; hope you enjoyed!_

 **Mzfeebs:** _I'm very happy that you're enjoying Gwynn as an addition to the Jurassic Park events––I hope you keep on reading! Thanks again!_

 **Boomer1125:** _I have updated! I hope you enjoyed it!  
_ _ **And thank you to those that have added this to their follows/favorites; it means a lot to me!**_

 _ **And that's it for now. I hope to update relatively soon––I go back home in about a week, so that means good wifi and DVDs for all! (Or, rather, just me, but you all probably get the point). ANYWAY, I hope you enjoyed this little installment in Gwyn's adventures in Jurassic Park! Thanks again!**_

 _ **~Mary**_


	5. The Start of a Feud

_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind._

5\. The Start of a Feud

After they were told that Jurassic Park had, indeed, bred velociraptors, Hammond invited them to see the fully grown ones. They were kept in a pen separate from all the other dinosaurs, seeing as their nature as ruthless hunters would spell out trouble should they be allowed to interact with any of the others. As they approached the prison looking structure that was the raptor pen, a terrifying screeching sound permeated the air. Gwyn skittered a step back, faltering at the noise. It sounded like a monster had just been loosed. There was more growling and screeching, which made Gwyn falter once again. Ian, whom she had been walking next to, dropped a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. The young girl looked up at him with pinched brows and a concerned look. He smiled and patted her shoulder a couple of times before letting his hand completely drop away.

"Dr. Grant!" called Hammond. He proceeded to mention that their gourmet chef had prepared a beautiful and delicious meal for them all––and a kid friendly one, too, of course––but Alan was far too busy being caught up in something else. He pulled one hand away from his hip and pointed towards the paddock.

"What are they doing?" Alan asked. They all came to a stop just behind him, and Gwyn wormed her way to the front of the group to see what it was her father was referring to. The girl watched as a large black cow, fitted into a blue sling, was raised off the ground by a crane. She cocked her head to the side and watched as the animal swayed through the air, the creature crying out in discomfort and confusion. Hammond, waggling his head side-to-side, smiled and replied simply.

"Feeding them." He then swept his hand back towards the visitor's center. "Alejandro has prepared a delightful menu for us––chili and sea bass I believe! Shall we?"

Again, Alan ignored him and made for the paddock, following the swinging cow as it was moved over the top of the pen. Gwyn was the last to follow, scuffing her feet as all the adults eagerly bounded towards the raptor's home. Velociraptors had been one of the most terrifying dinosaurs alive. Their hunting tactics made them extraordinarily dangerous and their anatomy––their claws and teeth––made them certifiable killing machines. Her father's panicked expression back in the lab made perfect sense to Gwyn. She simultaneously did and did not want to see them in their flesh and blood form. But, shoving her nerves aside, Gwyn followed Ian up the metal steps and stepped up to the edge of the observation balcony. The cow disappeared into the thick foliage and, after an inactive moment, the leaves began to tremble, jostle, and violently shake. The cries of the velociraptors and the cow permeated the air as the dinosaurs performed their attack on the mammal. From where Gwyn stood, she couldn't see much of anything; only flashes of color, mainly red. When she stretched up onto her toes and craned her head to the side, Ian had settled a hand on her shoulder, the weight of it clearly telling her to stay put. She didn't really need to see what was happening down below.

"They should all be destroyed," proclaimed an accented voice. English, if Gwyn wasn't mistaken. She fell flat on her feet and turned to see a man finish ascending the steps. He was a vision in khaki––his hat was khaki, his short sleeved button down shirt was khaki, his socks were khaki, and his shorts––that seemed far too short, in Gwyn's opinion––were khaki, too. His face was long and stern and his eyes were sharp. Gwyn got the idea he was not someone you wanted to mess with.

"Ah-ha-ha! Robert! Robert Muldoon," introduced Hammond. "My game warden from Kenya. Bit of an alarmist, I'm afraid, but he's dealt with the raptors more than anyone." Alan immediately stepped forward and introduced himself, not hesitating to ask any of his burning questions.

"Tell me, what kind of metabolism do they have? What's their growth rate?" he inquired. Muldoon leaned back against the railing and swept off his hat off the top of his head.

"They're lethal at eight months. And I _do_ mean lethal. I've hunted most things that can hunt you, but the way these things move…" Muldoon trailed off, giving a shake of his head. Alan stretched a hand back, grasped hold of the railing and leaned his weight against it. Gwyn shifted back against the railing, too, her back to the paddock. Ian followed suit and draped an almost protective arm on the rail just behind her shoulders, his hand dangling limply beside her right arm.

"Fast for a biped?"

"Cheetah speed. Fifty, sixty miles per hour if they ever got out in the open. _And_ they're astonishing jumpers."

"Yes, yes, yes, that's why we're taking _extreme_ precaution," Hammond said, turning to Ellie to describe the viewing area. Gwyn kept her attention on her father and Muldoon, whose conversation was far more interesting.

"Do they show intelligence?" Alan asked. "Their brain cavity is very––"

" _Extreme_ intelligence. Even problem solving. _Especially_ the big one. We bred eight, originally, but when she came in, she took over the pride and killed all but two of the others. That one… when she looks at you, you can see she's working things out. That's why they have to feed them like this." Muldoon jerked his head back towards the paddock, which had gone silent. "She had them all attacking the fences when the feeders came."

"The fences are electrified, though, right?" Ellie asked, glancing to Hammond, who nodded his confirmation.

"That's right, but they never attacked the same place twice. They were testing the fences for weaknesses. Systematically. They _remember_ ," he stressed, eyes squinted into the sun. Gwyn felt a chill roll through her body, despite the heat of the day.

The crane whirred to life, startling Gwyn into jumping. Ian patted her shoulder, which caused Alan to grimace some, and they all turned to watch the sling rise from the pen. What came out was a mangled mess of blue fabric, metal, and cable. The raptors had positively gored their prey, and what had been holding it, to death.

"There!" Hammond beamed, looking to the group that surrounded him. "Who's hungry?"

When they re-arrived at the visitor's center, Hammond gestured them all towards the stairs. He let everyone up before him, but when Gwyn was about to mount the stairs, he placed a friendly hand on her shoulder to stop her. She stared up at him with her forehead creased, confusion the reigning expression on her face. Hammond beamed at her kindly and pointed to the area just beyond the main lobby.

"I'm afraid that we will be discussing business over lunch. It will be terribly uninteresting for a young thing such as you. I believe that there's a spread of food in the restaurant that would be more for your tastes," Hammond told her. Gwyn felt her heart sink at the prospect of having to eat by herself. Alan leaned over the rail in order to catch her attention; Gwyn looked up at him and watched him raise both brows and nod his head. A disheartened expression must have overcome her face, for Hammond patted her on the shoulder and then bent at the waist in order to wink at her. "You can explore while you wait for us to finish."

"Really?" Gwyn grinned.

"The visitor's center only, of course, but I do believe that there should be some surprises here and there."

"Thank you!"

Gwyn, with renewed energy, ran beneath the fighting skeletons and skid around the corner that Hammond had pointed to. She could barely make out her father calling out something about her not getting lost, but she made the executive decision to ignore him. She trailed her hand along a beautifully painted mural that decorated the wall to her right. It was painted to look like the jungles of the island, and here and there a dinosaur made an appearance. There were parasaurolophus and microceratuses and, of course, velociraptors. Gwyn paused in order to trace the outline of the painted velociraptor, maintaining eye contact with the wall where its golden eye had been placed. The creature looked surprisingly docile, with its arms poised in front of itself and its mouth tightly closed. But Gwyn withdrew her hand sharply when she recalled the screech she'd heard them emit earlier. A warbling, wheezing sort of sound.

Sure enough, just as Hammond had said, an impressive spread of food––that looked to be mostly composed of desserts––was displayed on a number of tables lining the wall by the kitchen. Gwyn shrugged off her backpack and placed it atop one of the tables, immediately making for the food. Without her father present she _could_ just load up her plate with cake and ice cream, but she figured that going out into the heat of Isla Nublar without a substantial meal was probably a terrible idea. So she settled for what was either chicken nuggets or fish sticks, mashed potatoes, and a slice of cake to wolf down for dessert. To add more sugar to the meal, she grabbed a can of soda that was part of an elaborate tower at the end of the tables. She seated herself with her plate of newly acquired food and dug in. After a couple minutes of silence, Gwyn decided she wanted something to do while she ate, so she extracted her notebook and pencil. Using the mural for reference, she started to sketch out the three raptors Muldoon had mentioned. She worked on making the 'big one' as menacing as possible, with snarling lips, slitted pupils, and sharp teeth. It wasn't perfect, not by far, but it was charmingly done.

When Gwyn had finished her lunch and was moving on to dessert, she left her bag at the table, placed the slice of cake into a napkin, and took to exploring. She chewed on the soft vanilla cake, which had been frosted to look like the park's log; it consistently left streaks of red, black, and white frosting on her fingers. With a pointer finger stuck in her mouth, Gwyn wandered out of the dining hall and into the next room. There was a window that overlooked the lab they had been in earlier, which was mostly devoid of workers, who were likely on a lunch break. A door sat just next to window, and a sign was posted across the center of it: DO NOT ENTER. She could only presume that the door led to a hallway that would allow scientists to enter and exit the lab. There were panels attached to the walls to describe the different eras in which dinosaurs had lived––triassic, jurassic, cretaceous… Her eyes skimmed over the words, subconsciously trying to pick out any errors the writer may have made. One of the panels was hidden by a sheet of plastic, so Gwyn reached out to peel it back so she could read what was behind it.

"You shouldn't be snooping," informed a clipped voice. Gwyn spun around and saw that Dr. Wu stood in the doorway watching her with a critical gaze. It would seem he had just exited the door labeled 'DO NOT ENTER,' which only furthered her suspicion it was for employees only. She pursed her lips and let the plastic sheet slip from between her fingers.

"It's not snooping––it's _exploring._ And Mr. Hammond said I could," Gwyn replied, raising her chin. Wu clasped both hands behind his back and put on a false smile that made his face look plastic. First impressions were everything, as they said, and Wu hadn't impressed her when they met all of thirty minutes ago. She had felt belittled by his words and condescending glances, which had been cast at her warily from the corner of his eyes.

"You're a child. You'll inevitably get yourself into something you shouldn't."

"It's rude to assume."

"That's a big word," Wu said in a tone that edged on condescending. Gwyn narrowed her eyes at the scientist and curled her fingers around the slice of cake that had been resting in her napkin. Their earlier encounter in the lab briefly flashed to mind, and Gwyn's lips pulled into a frown.

"I'm _eleven_ ," she reminded. Wu chuckled and again plastered a fake smile on his face and arched both brows.

"And I'm genuinely impressed that you used the word 'assume' correctly." Wu started to move into the room, one of his hands extended towards her, as though he was going to take hold of her shoulder. "I think I should bring you to your father, Miss Grant." Gwyn took a jolting step backwards, eyeing him warily. Her left shoulder, which was the one she had assumed he would grab, was angled sharply backwards and away from his reach. Wu froze in his tracks and the two regarded each other silently. Gwyn was prepared to put her eleven-year-old energy to the test and make him chase her through the visitor's center; that was how much it would take to get her to sit in on the meeting upstairs. It wasn't like she was intending on traipsing off to the raptor pen to get a good look at their bloody maws and darting eyes… even if there was _some_ part of her that wanted to see their reanimated forms.

"I think my father wouldn't like me being brought into a meeting for adults." Betraying something of a more personal nature, Gwyn dropped her gaze to the floor and scuffed her toe against the marble. "He always asks me to leave him alone when he's doing business."

"Because you would be disruptive."

Gwyn glared at the scientist from under her lashes, lips forming a fierce grimace. While Dr. Wu wasn't wrong, she didn't want to admit that he was right. When she had inquired from time-to-time about why she was never welcomed to be around while work was being discussed, Alan had come up with numerous excuses. They ranged from her being bored to her being too young and filled with energy to sit still, seeming to choose to ignore the fact she had the patience level of someone far older than her mere eleven years. Shaking off the grimace, but maintaining her narrowed eyes, Gwyn lifted her chin again and gave a look that could just barely be considered haughty.

"Mr. Wu––"

" _Dr._ Wu."

"––you will not be taking me to my father. In fact, you should leave me alone, 'cause Mr. Hammond––your _boss_ ––said that I can explore if I want to. I have _permission_ ; and you do not have my permission to take me anywhere," Gwyn explained. She had placed both hands on her hips in imitation of her father, who always did a wonderful job of appearing stern and confident. Except, one of her hands was loosely curled in a fist, as it was cradling a piece of cake.

Wu looked at her with a stare that didn't falter. The corner of his mouth twitched up at the corner; he seemed amused at her attempt to seem more adult. He sauntered a couple more steps forward, and this time, Gwyn stood her ground, but she could feel her toes instinctively flex in preparation to bolt. When Wu came to a stop, he placed both hands on his knees and leaned forward. Gwyn fought to keep her strong posture as he sank down to her height, a condescending smile appearing on his lips.

"But I have the authority to remove you from any premises that I think could either compromise our work or be a danger to you and those around you. I would prefer to have my research untouched by a troublesome little girl," Wu stated in a slow, clipped voice that was accompanied by a fake smile. Then, casting a sideways glance to their surroundings, he cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. "Besides. This room is under construction."

With her own gaze becoming significantly more narrow, Gwyn's lips twisted into a testy grimace. "Good to know my safety is on the top of your list."

A stunted chuckle forced its way out of his throat, making it almost sound like he had choked on something. His lips once again formed that fake little smile and he started to straighten up.

"I'm taking you to your father."

Gwyn started and lurched back a step when his large hand curled around her elbow in a vice-like grip. She protested with a loud squeal and tried to wrench her arm from his grasp, the napkin and cake tumbling from her hand. It splattered against his shoe, streaking the shiny black material with colored frosting. Wu grimaced and shot the young girl a dirty look. Gwyn glared right back. The man flicked his foot to rid it of what frosting he could––and that wasn't much––before he turned on his heel and started to drag Gwyn towards the stairs. To Gwyn's credit, she did drag her feet and continuously attempt to remove herself from his hold, but the simple fact was that he was bigger and stronger than her. Each step Gwyn was forced to take fueled her dislike for the scientist. A dislike that, very quickly, turned to hate. A constant string of angry mutterings ran through her head as Wu dragged her up the stairs, holding her elbow up at shoulder level. Each step on the stairs ended with a tromping sound as she begrudgingly gave in to being towed along like a disobedient dog.

They caught the rest of the group just as they rounded the corner that led to the conference room. Hammond stuttered to a stop, brows arching when he came face-to-face with his young employee. A little 'oh!' escaped his lips and a smile briefly flickered across his face; it disappeared when he caught sight of Wu's expression. Then, catching notice of Gwyn, the next 'oh' that he voiced was more solemn. Alan, who had immediately noticed the hand firmly curled around his daughter's elbow, narrowed his eyes at Wu. He slipped a step forward and jabbed a finger in the scientist's direction.

"I'd thank you kindly to let go of my daughter's arm," Alan ground out. His tone of voice made it clear that if he had to ask a second time, his words would not be so kind.

"What's the meaning of this?" Hammond asked simultaneously. Gwyn again attempted to pull her arm from Wu's hold, but he held fast, as though he was proudly presenting a perpetrator to the chief of police.

"I found her snooping around the bottom floor; I thought she would be better suited under adult supervision, as children should be," Wu informed evenly, though the nasty look he directed at Alan didn't go unnoticed. Gwyn watched her father clench his teeth so hard that the muscles in his jaw visibly jumped. Hammond stepped forward, splaying both hands out in the air.

"Henry, I allowed her to explore the bottom floor while we handled business topics that would have bored her endlessly. She was not in the wrong being on her own," he explained in a placating voice.

"I _told_ you he gave me permission…" Gwyn muttered, glaring up at the man grasping her arm. He met her gaze, held it, and then forced a smile to crawl across his face. That look was then turned on the rest of the group, who was watching on tensely. Ellie had her arms crossed, brows pinched, and her lips tugged town at the edges. Alan was white-knuckled and appeared ready to physically remove Wu's hand from Gwyn's person.

Wu flexed each finger that had been wrapped around her elbow, slowly releasing her from his hold in a slightly showy manner. Gwyn immediately wrenched her arm away and sidled away from the man. "I just didn't want her to get hurt; much of the ground floor is unfinished."

"How very considerate of you," Alan deadpanned. He held out an arm, clearly but silently ordering Gwyn to step forward. She complied immediately, tucking herself between his arm and side. Her fingers clung to the side of Alan's pants, finding comfort in her father's presence. The Grants collectively glared at Henry Wu, who simply tucked his hands behind his back and smiled stiffly in response. He inclined his head to Alan, as though accepting his comment as a compliment, and then turned his attention to a worried looking Hammond.

"I should be getting back to work. Enjoy the rest of the tour."

Wu inclined his head to his employer before turning on his heel and descending the stairs. Two glares were pinned to his back the whole way down. Gwyn could feel Alan's hand slowly running a trail up and down her back. Another hand slipped onto her shoulder, giving it a loving squeeze. She didn't need to glance up to know Ellie had stepped up behind her. Hammond turned to face a disgruntled looking Alan, both hands held aloft in a placating manner, his expression matching the movement.

"I must apologize, Dr. Grant, Miss Grant. Henry truly is a very amiable man, he just tends to become a little too absorbed in his work from time to time. I-I'm sure you know what that's like!" Hammond laughed and beamed, trying his best to defuse the tension. Alan forced a smile across his face, as he murmured a vaguely choked 'yeah.'

"You okay?" her father asked as attention diverted its self back to the tour at hand. As they started to walk forward, Gwyn bobbed her head in a nod and tossed a glance towards the elbow Wu had taken hold of.

"I don't like him," she said. It was clear who she was referring to.

"Same here, kid, same here."

 _ **Afterword:**_ _**I really hate that it took so long to get this up; it's been a weird couple months for me and writing sorta took a back seat for a while. But things are starting to calm down, so hopefully I'll get back into the swing of being creative again. I wanted to progress further into the movie events, but it felt like this was a fitting spot to end the chapter.**_

 _ **Review Replies!  
**_ **la misteriosa volpe:** _I'm very happy you're enjoying both stories simultaneously! As for referencing, I'd like to utilize both the movie and the book, but I haven't made much of a dent in the book for it to be a legit reference yet. But I do hope to incorporate little things from the book eventually. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **The girl with no life:** _It's kinda refreshing to write the story from a kid's perspective. Because it isn't all about the science of it for Gwyn, it's the pure excitement of seeing dinosaurs––for now. And then we'll get a vastly different perspective of the disaster once it occurs. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **AnimeHunter411:** _I'm very happy you're enjoying the story so far! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter, too; thanks again!_

 **RJ North:** _It's definitely a vastly different reaction as to what she had in the other story; had everything not gone the way it did (the disaster, the attack), Gwyn might have been more favorable towards the raptors. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! Thanks again!_

 **Gage the Hedgehog:** _Thanks again! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!_

 **CarlyJo:** _You aren't the only one to hate Wu! The end of this chapter was to really show the basis for Gwyn's true hatred for him. It's likely that, eventually (in the other story), Gwyn will recall the awe and wonder of seeing the baby raptors… probably when she gets closer to the girls. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **KD:** _Gwyn was understandably scared to see the adult raptors––and Ian didn't seem too keen on letting her see. Probably a good idea, as they're pretty vicious eaters. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **The Redshirt who Lived:** _The baby raptors are adorable; no wonder Owen loves 'em so much :) No wonder GWYN loved it so much. Unfortunately, Gwyn's love for them died pretty quickly. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **Alex B Goode:** _Rock and roll to you as well! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

 **Hachiko33200:** _I'm very glad you enjoy these two stories! I really like writing her as an adult and then coming back to this story to write her as a kid. It's an interesting regression, as I discover more about her as a person by writing her as her younger self. We did have a little more bonding with Ian in this chapter, but we'll hopefully get more of that before shit goes down. And we will definitely get to see Alan's face when Gwyn get's injured––and it'll be heartbreaking. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **G:** _I didn't forget, don't worry! Life just got a bit hectic. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **Kiroroblue:** _Here's what more I've written! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

 **Dinosaur Imperial Soldier:** _I didn't get a chance to write a lot, as I was moving and finishing school simultaneously. But now that it's all started to calm down I should be able to write more. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter!_

 _ **And thank you to those who added this story to their follows/favorites; it means a lot!**_

 _ **I hope to update this story's counterpart very soon––today if I'm diligent. But I hope you all enjoyed the newest installment of Gwyn Grant's adventure through Jurassic Park. Hopefully this story will get updated soon! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!**_

 _ **~Mary**_


	6. Welcome to Jurassic Park

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind._

6\. Welcome To Jurassic Park

With the encounter with Wu fresh in their minds, the small group Hammond had been leading began to descend the main staircase. Alan kept his hand firmly planted on Gwyn's shoulder, keeping her close to his side. There had been a swift rush of anger that had swept through Alan's body when Wu had approached with Gwyn's arm curled in his grasp. The man had rubbed Alan the wrong way initially, but now he was sure that, should he see the scientist again, there would be many strong words. Words he had, moments ago, refrained from saying in front of his daughter and their present company. Ellie looked none too pleased with the encounter either, her brows having crinkled together in concern for the eleven year-old's well-being. Though Gwyn had seemingly handled it well, and had only come out disgruntled; and likely with a grudge towards the man who had dragged her upstairs. The fact that she had handled herself so well in such an uncommon and upsetting situation gave Alan reason to be proud. She was a self-assured girl; and that was something he hoped she would always hold on to.

"You five are going to have a little company out in the park. Spend a little time with our _target audience_ ," Hammond informed brightly. Alan pulled his brows together at the mention of a 'target audience.' He briefly contemplated who Hammond could have meant––paleontologists? Scientists? Millionaires that had money to invest? Alan wondered who he would be stuck with for the remainder of the weekend, and lamented the fact he would likely not enjoy their company.

" _Grandpa!_ " exclaimed two young voices. Everyone's attention was directed to the lobby, where two children around Gwyn's age had appeared.

"Kids!" Hammond replied, equally as enthusiastic. The two children immediately rushed for the stairs, barrelling past park workers who smiled in their wake, and met Hammond half-way. He laughed heartily as they attacked him in a simultaneous hug, which effectively knocked him to the steps.

"Careful with me!" he chuckled.

"We missed you!" exclaimed the older of the two kids, a blonde haired girl in a baseball cap.

"Me too!" called out the younger one, a blonde boy with a backpack.

The family reunion continued, with excitedly exchanged words and thanks for gifts. Gwyn leaned into her father's side so she might peer around Ellie, trying to get a better look at the new arrivals. Alan gave her shoulder a little squeeze as he shared a look with Ellie. It was a look that conveyed his less than enthusiastic attitude towards having more children join the group. Gwyn being his daughter, he knew how she would react what was to come on the tour; but these children were unknown factors. At first impression, they did not seem to have the maturity that Gwyn did. They reacted in the manner that most children did and spoke quickly and over one another, trying to have their voices heard at the same time. And that sparked a little surge of dread inside Alan's stomach.

"Oh, children, children, help me up," insisted Hammond, holding out his arms. Both kids aided their grandfather in standing, smiling brightly the whole time. Hammond then turned to face the rest of the group, proudly placing a hand on the girl's left shoulder, and the boy's right. "Everyone, may I introduce you to my grandchildren––Lex and Tim Murphy."

"Hi," they both chorused, voices going a little quiet with shyness. Hammond chuckled at them and then swept a hand forward to gesture to the group that stood before them.

"Lex, Tim… this is Mr. Gennaro, Dr. Ian Malcolm, Dr. Ellie Sattler, Dr. Alan Grant, and his daughter Gwyn."

Hammond had gestured to each of them as he said their name, a friendly smile plastered on his face as he did so. With introductions made, the group on the stairs said their first hellos. Gwyn felt excited that there would be kids her age on the island. While she loved spending time with her father and Ellie, she was still generally treated as a child; and that was often times how she spent most of her days. The only child surrounded by a handful of adults. And it was sometimes infuriating, because she felt as though she was so mature for her age, and no one ever really acknowledged it. So it would be nice to be on the same footing as someone else, if even only for a little while.

They were then prompted to step outside so they could begin their tour. Before leaving the visitor's center, however, Ellie hung back and kept Gwyn at her side. She bent down on one knee and clasped Gwyn's face between both her hands. Concern crinkled her eyebrows and turned her lips into a frown, as she have the eleven year-old a once-over. It wasn't hard to guess why Ellie looked so concerned; it was lingering from the encounter with Wu at the top of the stairs. That look of concern was directed up at Gwyn's face, as Ellie was now shorter than Gwyn in her kneeling position.

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked gently. Gwyn nodded as a loose strand of hair was swept out of her face by Ellie's caring fingers. Those same fingers then trailed down her arm, stopping at the elbow that Wu had been gripping only minutes before. She gently turned her arm this-way-and-that, examining the flesh for bruises in the manner of a concerned mother. "He didn't hurt you at all, did he?"

"No. All he did was interrupt my exploring…" Gwyn's face twisted into a distasteful look as she recalled the entire encounter with Wu. "I told him he didn't have my permission to take me upstairs, but he didn't listen. And I tried to get away, I really did; all I managed to do successfully was drop a piece of cake on his foot."

Ellie laughed, then, a loving smile appearing on her face. Gwyn's face brightened once the concern had disappeared from Ellie's face. "Is that what was on his shoe?" she giggled. Gwyn bobbed her head enthusiastically.

"It was frosting. It wasn't intentional, but sometimes I think things are just meant to happen," Gwyn informed. Ellie beamed and nodded her agreement, having shifted her weight back onto her foot so she could stand again.

"I think so, too; and it serves him right, having frosting on his shoe, after he didn't listen to you. He's lucky that you didn't get the chance to lecture him!"

"He's lucky _dad_ didn't get the chance to lecture him. We would have been here _all day_." Gwyn let her head loll back dramatically, imagining the talking-to Wu would have gotten if he had stayed a moment longer. Ellie laughed and placed her hand on Gwyn's shoulder, giving her a fond squeeze as they exited the building. The sun blinded them momentarily, leaving both of them squinting as their eyes adjusted to the tropical sunlight. Heat and humidity also washed over them, inspiring their skin to already begin sweating again.

"You're right, we would have been here all day. But that's because your father loves you very, very much, and he would never let anything bad happen to you. I'm honestly surprised that he _didn't_ launch into lecture mode," Ellie told her. Gwyn fondly rocked her body into Ellie's side, smirking that cheeky Grant smirk up at the blonde paleobotanist.

"I'm surprised _you_ didn't."

"Oh, I was about to, sweetie, believe me!"

Gwyn grinned at Ellie and wound her arms around her in a tight hug. The embrace was returned and Ellie dropped a kiss to the crown of the girl's head. Gwyn hadn't grown up with a mother, but she was entirely sure what it was like to have one. All of the affection and love and support that she received from Ellie was exactly what she figured having a mother was like. Someone who was there to comfort you when you cried, hug you when you were scared, and laugh with you when you were happy. Whenever Gwyn was posed with questions about her mother, Ellie was the first person to come to mind. It had been that way ever since they had met.

"Love you, Ellie," Gwyn said quietly, her face turned into Ellie's shoulder. She felt Ellie still a little bit, her head pulling away from where it had been resting atop Gwyn's. The words had left her mouth before she could even consider them; it had been as if she was saying it to her father. A natural, easy phrase that she meant every word of. Pulling her head away, Gwyn looked to Ellie and saw that she was grinning, and her eyes were a little misty.

"I love you, too, Gwyn," Ellie replied. Gwyn mirrored her grin and gave Ellie another happy squeeze before she pulled away and bounded down the visitor's center front steps. She barrelled straight down to the bottom step and came to an excited stop beside the two Murphy children.

"Now, kids––move away! Not too close to the cars!" warned Hammond.

Ian reached out and gestured for the three children to step away from the paved road. Along said road two cars, brightly colored and emblazoned with the park logo, rolled along at a moderate speed. The strange thing was, Gwyn realized, no one was driving them. The driver's seat was completely empty, and the rest of the seats were void of any passengers. She stepped forward curiously, but she heard a muttered 'hey, hey, hey' as Alan grabbed hold of the back of her shirt and pulled her back.

"Aren't they lovely! Aren't they _glorious_ ––these will be your transports for the afternoon," Hammond informed, as they began to circle around the first car. Lex jumped into the back seat excitedly and Gwyn watched as she pitched forward to inspect a screen set into the dashboard up front.

"No drivers?" Gennaro inquired.

"No, no, no, no, no! No drivers; they're electric! They run this track in the middle of the roadway here." Hammond gestured to a slightly raised steel track that jutted out from the middle of the pavement. "Totally non-polluting. Top of the line! Spared no expense."

Gwyn stopped in front of the car, one foot on either side of the track, and appreciated the bold color choices made for the vehicle. It was a vibrant electric green, which transitioned into an even brighter yellow. Stripes of red decorated the hood around the logo, which was also painted in large red letters across the side of the vehicle. Rising up on her toes, Gwyn realized that a portion of the car's ceiling was made of fiberglass, which would likely allow for a good view of any dinosaurs that loomed above them.

"Lex, you're all right in there," Hammond told his granddaughter, who nodded in acknowledgement. The older man then turned towards the group at the hood of the car and smiled at Gwyn. "Gwyn, dear, why don't you ride with Lex? I'm quite sure the two of you would get along very well."

Gwyn nodded, smiling brightly. She figured that the second car would be all adults, so they could talk 'business.' Not that she really minded being put in the kids car, this time around. When she interacted with children her age at school, she never really got to interact with them in her element. Most of the kids at the schools she attended thought it was cool her family dug up dinosaur bones, but whenever she tried to go into detail, they would opt out of conversation in favor of playing with toys or talking to someone else. "Alright!"

"Dr. Sattler, come with me. Dr. Grant, come to the second car!" Hammond gestured for them to follow as he turned on his heel and started to walk away. Ian trailed after Ellie, much to Alan's visible discontentment. He was quick to follow with determination in his step, lips evened out in a tight line. Gwyn made a face, having recognized her father's distinctly upset expression.

Deciding it would be best to be as far away from her father's potential wrath, Gwyn walked around the other side of the car, and pulled the door open. The interior smelled of fresh upholstery and the air was pleasantly air conditioned. She slipped inside just as Gennaro got into the passenger's side up front. A smirk played across her face as she scooted to the middle of the back and leaned forward between the front two seats.

"Hi," she said, startling the lawyer into jumping. He swore under his breath and placed a hand over his heart. He acknowledged Gwyn with a frown and let his head bob in awkward acknowledgement. Gwyn, mildly pleased at having startled him, sat back with a little giggle. The man clearly did _not_ have an affinity towards children; and she wondered how he would fair with being in the vehicle where he would likely be the oldest one. The prospect of his gaunt, exasperated face was amusing.

The door that Gwyn had closed moments before was opened again. Alan had tugged the door open and Tim had jumped up onto the seat, seeing as he had been trailing after Gwyn's father. The young boy pointed up at Alan smartly.

"––and then my _teacher_ told me about this other book by this guy named Bakker. And _he_ says that––" Tim was cut off by Alan pointedly shutting the door. He gave his daughter a look through the window, which was unapologetic, and then he walked back towards the second car.

Clearly undeterred by Alan's cold response, Tim eagerly turned to Gwyn, grinning broadly.

"I'm Tim!" he excitedly introduced. He shifted the book he had been carrying––Alan's book––from his right arm to his left, and offered a small hand. Gwyn smiled at his enthusiasm and clasped her hand around his, shaking it up-and-down a few times.

"I'm Gwyn; it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too!" The door to Gwyn's right opened, and Lex slipped inside. Up front, Gennaro groaned. "This is my sister, Lex!" The blonde girl leaned forward to look around Gwyn.

"She knows, Tim, grandpa introduced us inside, remember?" Lex pointed out. But she turned her attention to Gwyn with a friendly smile, regardless, and offered her hand, just as her brother had. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too."

"You're Dr. Grant's daughter, right?" Tim asked while he removed his backpack and put the well-read book back inside. At her affirmative nod, his smile returned full-force. "That's so cool! Do you get to go on digs and stuff?"

"I do! Whenever my dad goes on one, I go with him. I'm not allowed to do much digging yet, but I hope that I'll get to soon," Gwyn explained. She ducked to the side so Tim could toss his backpack over the backseat and into the trunk of the car.

"That's so cool, though," Lex said beside her. "Tim goes on and on and on about dinosaurs when we're at home; I think that he wants to be like your dad when he grows up. A, uh… what's his job called?"

"Paleontologist," both Tim and Gwyn answered at the same time. Shortly afterwards, the three dissolved into giggles, shifting around excitedly as the car began to crawl forward.

"Well, you're kinda dressed like him, so that's a start," Gwyn joked, having gestured to Tim's blue button down, which hung open over a striped shirt, and the blue bandana looped around his neck. The boy beamed at the likening Gwyn drew between him and her father.

The three chatted excitedly as the car started to wind its way down the road, which gracefully transitioned from pavement to dirt. They quickly discussed ages at Tim's prompting––Gwyn was the second oldest at eleven––and then turned the conversation back to the excitement at hand. They peered through every window as the car speakers explained to them how to use the interactive CD Rom player at the front of the car. That was when Tim pitched forward and leaned up against the driver's seat; he thrust a hand forward to point through the windshield.

"Hey, look!"

Gwyn sat forward as well and watched as they approached the true entrance to the park. The gate stood impossibly tall, and was made of rich, dark wood; it was supported on either side by tall sloping pillars of rock, which joined together in an arch. At the top of that arch, set between two flickering braziers, were the massive words JURASSIC PARK, all done up in red. Gwyn's lips pulled into a grin and her heart beat faster in excitement.

"Are we gonna hit that?" Lex asked, seemingly to herself.

Then, over the speakers, the voice introduced the beginning of their journey:

 _Welcome to Jurassic Park!_

The gates opened on their own accord, as though possessed by magic, and the cars bumbled through without incident. The cars were then flanked on either side by dense foliage, and Gwyn felt a little disappointed that Ellie wasn't there to point out specific flora and fauna. While the eleven year-old might have been good at identifying fossils, she was still not as well-versed in extinct plants as Ellie was. After a minute or two, they drove over a bridge that spanned a relatively shallow ravine, and approached their first dinosaur paddock.

 _If you look to the right, you'll see a herd of our first dinosaurs on tour, called dilophosaurus._

Excitement suddenly spiked in Gwyn's chest. It was strangely mixed with fear, as she knew the terrifying potential the dilophosaurus held. It's hunting habits had been painstakingly relayed to her by her father, who had gone into every specific he possibly could. Gwyn allowed Tim to scramble across her so he could clamber into his sister's personal space; then she, too, crowded the window, craning her head around eagerly. She braced one knee on the seat and raised up, gaining a little height advantage. She hoped to catch a flash of skin, or the swift shifting of foliage as it dashed away––or towards––the moving cars. The road was enclosed on one side by an electrified fences topped with flashing lights; just like the ones they had passed through earlier in the day. Except the sign on this fence asked for the tourists to keep their windows up.

 _One of the earliest carnivores, we now know dilophosaurus is actually poisonous, spitting its venom at its prey, causing blindness and eventually paralysis, allowing the carnivore to eat at its leisure. This makes dilophosaurus a beautiful, but dead addition to Jurassic Park._

The excitement that had risen up in Gwyn's chest had begun to wane when it was plainly obvious that they would not be seeing a dilophosaurus. They all wilted back from the window, with Tim pouting in disappointment. Gwyn gave a little shrug and picked at the hem of her shorts.

"I mean, I guess it's kinda like any zoo you go to… can't always guarantee you'll see everything," she tried to reason. It's not like Hammond had insisted that all the dinosaurs be trained; or had ordered their habitats to be small enough to consistently guarantee that every dinosaur would always be seen.

"Yeah, I guess…" Tim trailed off. Gwyn nudged his shoulder with her fist, smiling at him once he turned his attention over his shoulder.

"I bet we'll see cooler things than a dilophosaurus." A little more excitement returned to his eyes as they all relaxed back into their seats till they approached the next paddock.

The cars entered a tunnel that would take them through a small mountain, which bathed the car in dim orange light. They remained quiet as they trundled along and pondered what it was they would see next. When they emerged back into the daylight, which grew more grey with each passing minute, Gwyn saw another stretch of electric fencing, which gave away that they were at their next destination. It was announced they were approaching the tyrannosaurus-rex paddock, and Gwyn felt her heart leap. If she got to see a t-rex, it would simultaneously be the most terrifying and most exhilarating moment of her young life. The cars came to a slow stop and Gwyn shifted over to the left side of the car, peering through the window. There was maybe two or three feet between the edge of the car and the fencing; just barely enough to open the door, should the need arise. Behind her, Lex and Tim crowded towards the window.

They all waited silently, watching as the breeze toyed with the trees. They all listened for a sound they had never heard before, but were instead greeted with the bright tittering of birds. The chirping of insects. Above the trees, Gwyn could see the tops of nearby mountains cutting into the grey sky, making her feel incredibly small. Nothing gave away the location of the king of dinosaurs. _Queen_ , Gwyn mentally corrected herself. All of the dinosaurs on the island were female, so that would make this particular t-rex a queen.

There was a melodic chirping sound and a slight hiss of static from the speakers. " _We'll try tempting the Rex now. Keep watching the fence,_ " came a voice over the speakers.

From the ground, a small cage rose, inside of which was a goat.

"What's gonna happen to the goat?" Lex asked, clearly worried for the animal's well-being. The cage walls retracted into the ground as the animal bleated helplessly, as it was left chained up and out in the open. Lex reeled around to look at Gennaro, realization coloring her face. "He's gonna eat the goat!?"

" _Excellent,_ " drawled Tim with a grin.

"What's the matter, kid? Never had lamb-chops?" Gennaro inquired blandly, without any real interest.

"I happen to be a vegetarian."

Gwyn hummed and quirked an eyebrow at Lex's comment. "Well, the tyrannosaurus-rex is a carnivore, so I don't think you two would get along very well… Also, it's a she, not a he." Gwyn balled up a fist, propped her elbow on her knee, and let her cheek sink down against it. She considered the unmoving goat critically for a moment, eyes narrowing. "I don't think she'd want to eat something that's not running away. This is too easy for a highly deadly predator that enjoys killing things that run away…" The goat slowly lowered itself into a resting position and Gwyn sighed. "We might be here for a while…" And with that, the four in the car reclined in their seats, disappointment palpable.

As they waited in disheartened silence, rain had started to drizzle, flecking the windows with droplets of water. Approximately four minutes passed before the car slowly started to roll away from the still-waiting goat, and the t-rexless jungle that surrounded it. Gwyn sighed and let her head loll back against the seat, staring up through the fiberglass ceiling. With nowhere to channel her previously build-up excitement, she shifted around continuously, trying to find a comfortable seated position. Slowly, the terrain began to change. The mountains became hills, and eventually died down into grassland. Thickets of trees became more sparse and what trees were there were shorter. It reminded Gwyn a little bit of home. With another built-up sigh, Gwyn turned around in her seat so she could peer out the back window. Both of her eyebrows creased when she saw one of the doors of the other car open. A brief moment later, Alan slipped out the door and made a beeline for one of the fields on the left side of the road. With curiosity blooming inside her chest, and her restlessness reaching its height, she popped her door open and quickly pushed herself out of the still moving vehicle.

Gwyn stumbled as her feet met the ground, and her arms flailed as she regained her balance. She jogged after her father, who was quick to disappear down the slight slope at the side of the road.

"Dad!" she called out, sliding down the decline after him.

"Alan! Gwyn!" Ellie cried from behind her.

It would seem that Alan's sudden departure from the tour vehicle had prompted everyone else to do the same. Soon enough, the entire group was headed into uncharted territory. Alan was on a set path and hadn't said a word to anyone, not even Ellie or Gwyn.

"Like I said, there's this other book by this guy called Bakker, and he says that the dinosaurs died from disease," Tim told Alan, continuing where he had been cut off earlier.

"Alan, where are we going?" Ellie asked from beside Gwyn.

"Is there anyone else who thinks we shouldn't be out here!?" Gennaro exclaimed from the very back.

"––and _his_ book is a lot fatter than yours, it's like…" Tim tried to show an estimated thickness of Bakker's book, to which Alan just raised his brows.

"Really?"

"Yours was fully illustrated," Ellie pointed out, tone a little playful.

Alan shot her a wry look over his shoulder, a look that was swiftly moved in his daughter's direction as she snorted in laughter. It was then that Lex suddenly stumbled and fell, her hands and knees briefly meeting the dirt. The moment was brief because Alan's reflexes had kicked in, and he stopped to help her up, a parental hand grasping hers.

"You okay?" he asked, tone suddenly gentle. It was the kind of voice he used with Gwyn––lighter than his typical drawl, and with a little more inflection.

Once she was standing again, Lex simply didn't let go, smiling at the man who had helped her. Alan tried to shake her off as though she were some kind of sticky goo. Gwyn giggled behind him as his shoulders slumped. Tim continued to try to get Alan to listen to him, and Lex held tight to his hand, which hovered up by his hip. It was very rare Alan interacted with any child who wasn't Gwyn. In fact, he tended to avoid it. He had never been particularly good with kids until he'd had one of his own; and even then, he was only really comfortable with his own child. Alan knew how to speak to Gwyn and could predict how she might react to something. He had raised her. He knew who she was as a person, and she knew how he was as a father. Other children _didn't_. They didn't know how blunt he was when he spoke, or that physical affection sometimes confused him, or that despite his deadpan and gruff exterior, he was actually a quite a caring man.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Alan voiced, halting his progress forward. He finally managed to slip his hand out of Lex's, his gaze never leaving the sight before him. "Everyone stay here…" He slowly began to move forward again, the grass whipping at his legs and shoes. Gwyn made a sound at the back of her throat, more than a little annoyed her father hadn't been outwardly saying what he meant since he'd leapt from the car. Such was why Gwyn decided that if _he_ wasn't going to listen, then _she_ wasn't either. She marched after Alan with her arms swinging at her side, face locked in determination. Once again, Ellie was left calling after her, her voice pitching up a little bit when she started to utter Tim's name as well.

The sight that Gwyn came across next was something she was not prepared for. Lying on a bed of flattened, dying grass was a triceratops that groaned with every few slow breaths. Gwyn froze, eyes wide, and stared. That was all she could do as the awe of being so close to such a beautiful creature took hold. However, the triceratops' prone position and lack of large movements betrayed its sickly nature. Its eyes were barely open, and appeared to be tinged with red; her beaked mouth hung open and white froth had gathered at the corners. The groaning seemed exhausted and low, as though the effort of breathing was painful.

Gwyn watched her father approach the triceratops once they nearby park employee gave him the go-ahead. She rocked forward on her feet, palms itching and excitement building. The employee waved her forward before gesturing to the rest of the group as well.

"Don't be scared. Come on, it's okay. Muldoon tranquilized her for me."

Gwyn stepped forward and stopped to crouch down by the side of the triceratops' head. The dinosaur's eye opened a little wider before narrowing tiredly, a groan escaping with a puff of warm breath.

"She's sick," Alan proclaimed as the others approached.

Gwyn gently reached out and placed a hand on the creature's neck frill. A smile spread across her face as the warmth of the triceratops' skin met the heat of her own palm. It was further proof that all the dinosaurs were real; they were living, breathing creatures that had beating hearts and flowing blood. That hand traced a slow path along the frill, fingers dancing over the bumps and creases of the earth toned skin. Across from her, Alan was touching the cracking horns with soft reverent hands. Gwyn's own hand stopped beside the triceratops' eye, which was glass and red with irritation. Gwyn cocked her head to the side sadly, beginning to sense just how much distress she was in.

"It's okay…" she murmured, placing her other hand on the snout that curved up into another horn.

Alan stepped up to Gwyn's side, a hand resting on the neck frill. He chuckled under his breath and shook his head in mild disbelief.

"She was always my favorite when I was a kid… and now that I see her, she's the most beautiful thing that I ever saw!" Alan beamed at Gwyn and Ellie, who was crouched by the triceratops' snout.

"She's beautiful…" Gwyn whispered. Alan placed a hand on her back as he rose to his feet. Gwyn leaned forward and lay her head on the slight curve of the neck frill as it joined to the jaw. She ran her hand across the space beneath the eye, taking in the whole of the mighty creature she leaned against. "But she's so sick…"

Ellie leaned forward and picked something off of the triceratops' tongue, pinching it between her thumb and pointer finger. It was green and covered in saliva, but it didn't stop the blonde paleobotanist from examining it closely. "Microvesicles. That's interesting. Ich…" The park employee that had gestured them forward approached Ellie and offered a flashlight, which she took with a nod. "Thanks. What are her symptoms?" She shone the light into the triceratops' mouth and continued her examination.

"Imbalance, disorientation, labored breathing. It seems to happen every six weeks or so," he informed, recalling the information easily.

"Six weeks…" Ellie shifted to the other side of the triceratops' head, shining the light into its right eye. "These are dilated. Take a look… That's pharmacological. From local plant life…" Ellie murmured, turning her attention to the plants that surrounded them. Suddenly on the hunt for whatever it was making the triceratops sick, she ventured into the grass with Tim and the employee following closely behind.

Gwyn shut her eyes and continued to rest her head against the triceratops'. Her fingers brushed across skin dampened by tears beneath the eye. Her lips tugged into a frown as another groan escaped the animal's mouth. Quietly, Gwyn continued to speak to her, rubbing the warm, bumpy skin with gentle movements.

"I wouldn't be so close to that if I were you," Gennaro voiced, giving a half-hearted point to Gwyn and the triceratops. Gwyn shot him a look out of the corner of her eye, not heeding his advice in the least bit. She'd had enough of pushy adults for the day.

"Are you scared?" asked Lex, who had been keeping a considerable distance between herself and the dinosaur. Gwyn shook her head and ran a hand up along one of the slightly curved horns. A slight smile perked up the corners of her mouth.

"No. Triceratopses are herbivores, so I don't have to worry about her wanting to eat me. Besides, she's sick… it's nice to have someone comfort you when you're sick; and right now, it's like comforting a very sick, very tired dog," Gwyn told her, lifting her head away from the neck frill. She smiled over at the girl in the purple cap. "You can get closer, you'll be fine."

Lex shook her head in refusal, eyeing the dinosaur warily. "So is this what you want to do when you're older? What your dad does, I mean." Gwyn nodded eagerly, baby hairs falling out of her braid to tickle her face. "Or maybe you could be a vet," Lex suggested brightly. She gestured to the hand that Gwyn had been continuously stroking the triceratops with. Gwyn arched her brows curiously. "You look like you're very good with animals."

"I've always wanted a dog, but my dad and I are never home, so it wouldn't make sense," Gwyn said matter-of-factly, her voice a little wry. "Do you know what you wanna do?" Lex shrugged and clasped her hands behind her back, eyes shifting to the sky while she thought over Gwyn's question.

"I dunno. Maybe something with computers. I mean, they've already done so much with computers _here_ , so I can only guess what they'll be able to do in the future," Lex suggested, shrugging for a second time. She jumped, then, as the triceratops let out a loud groan. Gwyn was quick to make shushing sounds to the uncomfortable animal, leaning in close again. The lawyer, who had been watching the children converse, gave a little scoff.

"How could you know what you want to do? You're only, what, ten?" Gennaro inquired, pushing his shirt sleeves up past his elbows. He had been looking miserable ever since he begrudgingly got out of the car, the heat clearly not agreeing with him. Gwyn shot him another look, again looking frighteningly like Alan.

"Eleven," Gwyn corrected in a deadpan.

"Twelve," Lex stated proudly.

"Regardless, you're much too young to be making life plans like that."

Gwyn shook her head and turned back to the triceratops, ignoring Gennaro's presence entirely. Alan and Ellie came back over, crouching by the triceratops' mouth as they began to examine it again. After a couple minutes of quiet conversation, a disturbingly loud crack of thunder rocked the sky above them. Everyone jumped a little bit and turned their attention towards the sky, which was covered in a blanket of darkening clouds. The air was thick with humidity and smelled of rain.

"Doctors, if you please, I have to insist we get moving," Gennaro insisted with a shaky voice. Gwyn rose to her feet, giving the triceratops one last pat in well-wishing. As she and Alan made their way towards the rest of the group, Ellie hung back a little bit.

"Oh… you know, if it's alright, I'd like to stay with Dr. Harding and finish up with the trike," Ellie said whilst gesturing to the ailing dinosaur.

"Sure––I'm in a gas powered Jeep," the park employee agreed. "I'll drop her off at the visitor center before I make the boat with the others."

"Great; I'll catch up with you if you want to move on." Ellie had directed this comment to Alan. She had smiled gently and touched his arm, her hand then falling to brush Gwyn's shoulder.

"You sure?" Alan inquired, brows furrowing as the wind started to pick up.

"Yeah, I wanna stay with her a little longer."

"Okay, then."

Gwyn turned back towards the road as, simultaneously, lightning flashed and thunder cracked. The wind picked up even more, causing her to lean a little to the right to keep completely balanced. More hair was torn from the braid and the wind whipped it into her eyes, which were squinted and beginning to water. Fighting against the increasingly poor weather, the group finally made it back up to the road and returned to their original cars. Once in the back of hers, Gwyn and Tim started to chat animatedly about triceratopses, and he started posing theories he had as to why the creature had fallen so ill. Shortly after the cars had started up again, they were informed that, due to an incoming storm, they would have to turn around and head back to the visitor's center. Rain started to come down in sheets as they looped back on a service road that would connect back to the main path at the tyrannosaurus paddock. With her forehead rested against the cold window, Gwyn watched the lightening flash and pondered whether or not they'd catch a glimpse of the t-rex on their way back. That would be a fitting way to end their first day at the park, she thought. It would be absolutely fitting.

 ** _Afterword: It has been far too long since I updated this story. Life really got in the way of creativity, recently, but things are smoothing out and dying down, so it's time to jump back into writing! I had a lot of fun coming back to Gwyn and Alan; and I'm so excited for things to truly kick off next chapter!_**

 ** _Review Replies!_**

 **Dinosaur Imperial Soldier: **_In this chapter she did, indeed, meet Lex and Tim and started the tour. Next up, things will really kick off. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **The Redshirt who Lived: **_Gwyn figured out how to hold her own when she was pretty young; and a lot of that started here! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **Gyromice89:** _T_ _hank you; I hope you enjoyed the update! Thanks again!_

 **RJ North: **_I had fun writing the little Wu and Gwyn moment last chapter, to showcase the singular moment that started their little feud. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **Pierce: **_I actually finished reading the novel in my very long hiatus. I wasn't terribly sad to see Wu go, as I've never been a fan of him; good on him for dying via raptor in the book!_

 **MichelleJoy: **_I'm glad that you've been enjoying both stories that Gwyn has; I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **KD: **_I plan on having more moments between all the kids as everything happens. The beginning of the next chapter will be kid-car-centric, I just gotta figure out what they'd be talking about! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!_

 **deangirl515: **_Here we go, a new chapter! Thanks again!_

 **ZabuzasGirl: **_I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, and hope you enjoyed the new one just as much. Thanks again!_

 **PhAnToM1212: **_Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!_

 **Guest: **_Finally, a new update! Huzzah!_

 **Kernow85:** _I'm finally back into the swing of writing, and I've been dying to get this chapter up all week. I adore writing Dad Alan, because he's just so… unique in being a father. It's so unconventional, but it also completely works for him. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! We're getting ever closer to the moment that helps define Gwyn as a person… Thanks again!_

 **Sophia Kaiba: **_It has been so long since I updated this, but I'm glad you've enjoyed it thus far! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter, and This Damnable Place as well; thanks again!_

 ** _And thank you to those who added this to follows/favorites; it means a lot!_**

 ** _And that's it for now! The next update will definitely NOT take a year. I hope to get the next chapter up within the next week or two; we've got a t-rex to introduce! I thank you all for being so patient, and I hope you all are still enjoying Gwyn's story! Thanks again!_**

 ** _~Mary_**


	7. One Monster of a Problem

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind._

7\. One Monster of a Problem

"You can do _all of that on a computer?_ " Gwyn pressed, eyes wide. Lex had just been explaining her love for computers and gadgetry; she had pridefully let slip that she knew a couple of hacker tricks, and had gone into detail about what it was she could do. She nodded enthusiastically before clutching to the seat as the car rocked over uneven ground.

"Yup! It's really easy once you practice it a couple of times; and once you get code memorized, you can do so much more!" Lex gushed. Gwyn murmured a 'wow,' and grabbed the handle just above the door as the car continued to bounce along the path.

"Hacking is illegal, young lady," said the lawyer in the front seat. Gennaro, who had taken to sitting in the driver's seat, turned around to give the twelve year-old a stern and pointed look. Lex threw up her hands in innocence.

"I'm not hacking into anything! I just know a couple of tricks!" she defended, voice pitching up.

"Being interested in the skills such criminals have can lead down a slippery slope. Before you know it, you _will_ be hacking into things for fun."

"But we're only, what, around ten? We're too young to make life choices like that," Gwyn drawled innocently, mirroring the words he'd said to them back by the triceratops. Gennaro seemed to bite back what would likely be a terribly bitter comment, and turned to face front. Gwyn could hear him mutter 'children are impossible to deal with' as he slouched sideways. With a roll of her eyes, Gwyn turned her attention back to Lex. "I think it's really impressive you can do all that."

Lex beamed happily and raised her chin a little bit with pride.

"Well _I_ think it's cool that you dig up dinosaur bones," Tim said from between the two girls.

"I haven't really done much digging," Gwyn admitted as the car rocked once more before gliding onto fully paved road. It would seem they were back on the main road. "I'm good at what I do, when I'm allowed to do it; but my dad thinks I'm still too young to do a lot of work… just before we came here, I helped uncover a raptor claw. It was pretty cool!" Tim stared at her wide eyed, mouth falling into an open-mouthed grin.

It was then, before Tim could make any excited inquiries, that the car came to a gentle stop. Gennaro raised his hands away from the covered steering wheel, as though he was worried he had done something to stop the remotely controlled vehicle.

"Why did we stop?" Lex asked. She leaned forward to peer into the front seat, eyes locked on the interactive screen in the dash. It had gone dark.

"I don't know…" Gennaro trailed off. He reached for the radio used to call back to the control room and tried to get in contact with Hammond. "Hello?" A hiss of static was his reply. "Can anyone hear me?"

The next few minutes were comprised of trying to figure out how to fix the radio. When it became clear that the storm had likely knocked out communications, and that it was probably also to blame for their sudden stop. Alan had swung by to check in, informing the lawyer that their radio was out, as well. The exchange was short and informative, and it wasn't long before his blue shirted back was disappearing into the rain streaked night. Gwyn, who was seated on the far right of the backseat, peered through the window and into the darkness. They had stalled right outside the t-rex paddock, and their car was once again perfectly lined up for them to see the goat. It was bleating and drenched in rain, but otherwise seemed unperturbed by the flashing lightning and crashing thunder. Gwyn turned her attention up towards the sky, watching as the sudden flashes of light silhouetted the electric fence against the stormy clouds. Her brows suddenly pinched together as she noticed a lack of twinkling orange lights.

"Hey… weren't the lights on the fence flashing earlier?" she asked, flattening her cheek against the window.

"They probably rerouted the power to somewhere more important," Gennaro reasoned in a mildly exasperated sigh. "Like getting the cars to move again…"

Tim climbed into the front seat and then disappeared as he ducked down in front of the passenger seat, rummaging around beneath it. Lex began to fan herself with the hat, as the last refreshing breath of the air conditioning began to fade away. Gwyn leaned her head back and stared up through the fiberglass that made up most of the roof. The rain that was coming down was heavy and splattered loudly when it hit solid surfaces. It was the kind of storm you didn't want to be caught out in, for fear of getting absolutely soaked. It was also the type of storm that made you feel cozy. The car might have been quiet, as conversation stalled, but the pattering rain was a comforting sound. Gwyn shut her eyes and just listened as the music of the rain blended with the crashing of the thunder. She was startled out of this restful state fairly quickly, though, as Tim loudly shouted 'boo' from the passenger's seat. A gasp ripped its way from Gwyn's throat and she jumped; Lex's reaction mimicked hers. The thrumming of Gwyn's startled heart could be felt unpleasantly in her throat. Tim was grinning at them with some sort of headgear perched atop his head, which he removed as Lex glared at him. When it was clear that the boy's prank was nothing nefarious, Gwyn relaxed and let out a relieved sigh.

"Hey, where did you find that?" Gennaro asked accusatorily.

"In a box under the seat," he replied.

"Are they heavy?"

"Yeah!"  
"Then they're expensive, put them back."

Gennaro then shut his eyes and leaned his head back, exasperation tensing up his shoulders. Tim blatantly disregarded the order, much to Gwyn's amusement, and put the goggles back on. He climbed back into the back seat, situating himself between Gwyn and Lex once more. His sister hit him over the head with her hat, brows pinched together.

"Don't scare me!" she reprimanded.

Tim proceeded to worm his way into the space between the back seat and the back window. Gwyn dodged to the side when one of his feet nearly swung straight into her left eye. He lay sprawled across the shelf, legs kicked up in the air, and there were a few whirring sounds as he switched the goggles on. "Oh, cool! Night vision!"

With a faint smile playing across her face, Gwyn turned her attention to the window once more. Her gaze remained unfocused while her mind drifted back to the triceratops. She had been beautiful. Even sedated and sick, she had been absolutely phenomenal. And to have been able to touch the dinosaur! It was an absolute dream come true. Gwyn made note of a rumble that disrupted her thoughts. It had shaken the glass of the window, and caused her to lift her head away from the glass in contemplation. When it didn't happen again, she returned to resting her forehead against the cool, rain-streaked glass. It must have been a shock of distant thunder. A moment later, though, it happened again. The glass trembled and Gwyn could have sworn she felt it in her chest, like a firework going off.

"Did you hear that?" Tim asked. He had twisted around and sat forward, his small hand having stilled his sister's waving cap.

"Yeah…" Gwyn murmured, cautiously lifting her head away from the window. She placed a hand on her chest, where she had felt the rumble. Tim slipped back onto the seat, brows furrowed and mouth hanging open. He hung over the back of the passenger's seat, eyes intently focused on two small plastic cups of water on the dashboard. "What are you looking at?" Tim pointed at the water with an adamant finger, eyes wide. Gwyn craned her head forward and curiously watched as well. A pause of silence, a flash of lightning.

 _Thud._

The water rippled inside the glass as the thud occurred again. Gwyn's lips parted as she realized that it hadn't been a rumble of thunder; it was something making a hard, forceful impact with the ground. That was why the water was rippling and the windows were shaking.

 _Thud._

Ripple.

 _Thud._

Ripple.

The thudding became more regular, the space between each one even. Gennaro's head quirked up as it became stronger. Louder. The car started to tremble and the reflection in the rearview mirror shook. Gwyn sat forward, one hand having taken hold of the passenger's seat in front of her. Just like the thudding outside, Gwyn's heart started to beat harder. Louder. Anxiety started to well up in her throat instinctively as her shoulders tensed.

"Maybe it's just… the power trying to come back on…" Gennaro murmured, eyes fixed on the shaking rearview.

"I… don't think so, Mr. Gennaro…" Gwyn replied in a whisper. Part of her had a painful sneaking suspicion of what it could be, but another part of her vehemently denied what the other part wanted to believe.

"What is that?" Lex tossed in, as the car trembled once again.

Tim launched himself back onto the shelf behind the back seat, goggles dutifully placed on his head. He twisted round so he was laying completely across the shelf and peering through the window on Gwyn's side of the car. Said girl turned her attention back out the window, and she felt her body stiffen. The goat was gone. The chain that had been linked to the collar around its neck swung freely and violently; the image was haunting in the flickering light. It was clear that the goat had not broken free of its own accord––it had been taken from its platform forcefully. And the only thing that could have done that…

"Where's the goat?" Lex continued, voice pitching up.

There was a terrible thud as something landed on the roof. Simultaneously, everyone looked up and discovered that the object that had struck their car had been a goat's leg. The flesh was torn, tendons splayed out, and the fur was bloody. Blood began to pool and, mixed with the rain, streaked across the fiberglass. Lex and Gennaro rocketed backwards as shocked gasps ripped through their mouths. Gwyn, however, tensely turned back to the window and saw two large, clawed fingers pulling down at one of the metal cords on the fence. In a dreadful flush of irony, it had pulled down at the sign that registered that the fence was supposed to be charged with ten-thousand volts of electricity. It would seem, however, it no longer held such power. The claws disappeared, letting the cord twang back into place like a piece of string.

With eyelashes fluttering, Gwyn slowly tilted her head back to look up. Her jaw dropped as she saw a massive, leather-skinned head rear back, rising above the treetops. Its jaw was ajar and bared, not only deadly sharp teeth, but the rest of the unlucky goat. Gwyn watched as the tyrannosaurus-rex threw its head back and devoured the goat practically whole. It then turned its sights towards the fence and the car that sat just beyond it, mouth permanently curved in an almost smug smile. Its teeth, forever visible, were yellowed and bloody. Its eyes, half-lidded and watchful. If Gwyn had seen the tyrannosaurus earlier, in broad, shining daylight while the fences were up and running, it might have been exciting. Instead, a pure, unadulterated, instinctual wash of terror washed through Gwyn's body; it made her muscles tense and her stomach seize.

" _Jesus!_ " hissed out Gennaro. Gwyn then heard a sound that made her stomach drop. The sound of a car door opening. Turning her head, she watched as Gennaro pushed himself out of the car and started to run. Dread began to build in her stomach as the humid air from outside wafted in from the open driver's side door.

"He left us! He left us…" Lex started to murmur.

There was another loud thud and a series of twanging sounds as, somewhere just behind the car, the metal cords of the fence were ripped away like string. Directly beside them, the fence creaked and squealed and began to buckle inwards, bending towards the car. The three still inside began to breath rapidly, panic gripping them.

"Dr. Grant…" Lex exhaled, as though it would summon Alan immediately. Gwyn twisted around in her seat to look back at her father's car, her braid whipping round and smacking her cheek. Her hands gripped the back of the seat so hard her knuckles turned white. It was from that vantage point that she watched the tyrannosaurus-rex bite at the unelectrified cables and pull at them, clamping its massive jaw down and snapping them like wire-cutters. A high-pitched, fearful squeak fled her mouth as the dinosaur stepped over the cement divider, through the now exposed spot in the fence, and onto the road. Then, it turned tits head towards the first car, jaw peaking open in what Gwyn registered as anticipation. It then bent forward, stretching its head and neck out, and let out a terrible screeching roar that rattled the windows. It roared a second time, as though proclaiming its freedom.

The tyrannosaurus then lumbered forward, between the two cars, the ground shaking violently. Gwyn, stunned, simply sat there staring through the rain dotted window. Beside her, Lex pulled the shelf Tim had been perched on aside, exposing supply boxes in the trunk. She wrenched one open and pulled out the first thing she found––an industrial flashlight. With the shock beginning to ware off, Gwyn frantically smacked Lex repeatedly with the back of her hand.

" _Don't move,_ " she hissed. "It'll see you if move, stay still!" Lex, frightened by Gwyn's sudden touch, accidently flicked the light on. "Turn it off!" Gwyn's voice had practically become a squeal as she and Lex fought to try and find its off switch. Tim frantically repeated Gwyn's request to turn off the light, as the tyrannosaurus began to lumber towards their car. Finally, the light was switched off, but it was too late. The massive dinosaur loomed over their car, a low rumble in its throat as it surveyed the air above them. "Don't move, don't move, don't move…" Gwyn repeated like a mantra, her voice breathy and quiet.

There was a thud as Tim bravely shut the driver's side door.

Unfortunately, the sound had caught the tyrannosaurus' attention, and its head sharply turned downwards towards the car. It leaned forward so its muzzle was a mere foot away from the doors, its near constant snarling reverberating in their chests. They all took Gwyn's advice and remained as still as they possibly could, watching wide-eyed as the dinosaur cased its potential source of food. They could hear its hefty sniffing, as its sights roamed from the back door to the front. To the roof, back to the doors. Lex carefully clicked the light back on and pointed it towards the window, clearly hoping the beam of light would point the predator in the direction of the jungle opposite them. However, the tyrannosaurus simply bent lower and turned its head so it could peer into the car. Its golden eye entered the light beam and the pupil dilated, leaving its gaze beady and terrifying. It then backed away in the slightest and opened its jaw in order to roar.

The sound was absolutely deafening. Gwyn clamped both hands over her ears, only to find that it didn't help any. It was the kind of loud that first made you go momentarily deaf before your ears started to ring. It made your head hurt like you had a migraine. Gwyn clamped her eyes shut and tried to block it out to no avail. Once the roar ceased, all three children scrambled to the far side of the car, pressing themselves against the doors. It was then the tyrannosaurus-rex began to nudge the car with its nose, causing it to rock off two of its wheels and fall back to the ground. It was then that true terror took hold, and all of them started screaming.

There was a mad scramble as Tim launched into the back seat and began to fight with Lex over turning off the flashlight once more. Gwyn threw her own arms into the fray, fingers stretching towards the off-switch. Their panicked voices were a mash as they fought over how to turn the thing off. Then, they realized that the dinosaur's face was no longer blocking out the side windows. They stilled. Simultaneously, the three looked up through the fiberglass roof just in time to see the tyrannosaurus' muzzle rocketing down towards them.

Gwyn screamed as loud as she had ever screamed as the fiberglass was shoved out of place. Her hands shot up along with Tim and Lex's as they futilely attempted to push back against the glass. Their feet soon joined the effort of trying to keep the fiberglass as a shield between them and the dinosaur, screaming in terror all the while. Gwyn felt tears streak from her eyes as the tyrannosaurus roared and opened its gaping maw; it forced its jaws through the open roof and snapped at them, trying to snatch them up between its deadly teeth. The hot breath it exhaled on them smelled of rancid meat and fresh blood. It did not relent its attack as its jaws uselessly snapped against the glass, squeaking against rain water. Gwyn found herself making eye-contact with its hungry golden eyes, and suddenly everything felt cold.

She thought, then, that this was how she would die. Gwyn Grant, daughter of renowned paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant would be eaten alive by a tyrannosaurus-rex on an island just off Costa Rica. It would both be the most painful experience of her life, and the last experience of her life. It would be what nightmares were made of––teeth piercing flesh and cutting through bone as though it was made of putty. She would be alive enough to feel the agony before she was greeted by death on a wave of rancid breath; and with that morbid thought in her head, Gwyn let out another heart-rending scream.

Gwyn's fingers, wrists, and ankles ached with the effort of pushing up against the fiberglass. Her screams intermingled with those of Lex and Tim, who were trying just as hard to stave off their attacker. With its mouth still wedged in the car, the tyrannosaurus-rex roared yet again; and the three shouted right back. Her lungs burned and her throat ached. She didn't know how much longer they would be able to push back. Their only saving grace was that the dinosaur couldn't fit its whole mouth into the car. They were just out of reach… but even just out of reach wasn't safe.

Like a prayer being answered, the toothy maw was removed from the car, leaving rain to pour onto the fiberglass shield. Gwyn panted as their moment of terror ended, her lungs desperate for air; then, she screamed as their nightmare continued. The tyrannosaurus was throwing its head into the side of the car, rocking it back onto two wheels. The second time it did this, the car teetered and then the world was thrown off kilter. The car was promptly flipped upside down, all of the real glass shattering upon impact. All of the air left Gwyn's body as she was thrown from the floor to the roof of the car, her stomach hitting the ground. Before she could even scramble to her hands and knees, the car jostled and shook. The hood was ground into the ground, and some of the underside was torn away by deadly teeth. There as a pop and a hiss as one of the tires was destroyed. Gwyn finally managed to pull herself towards the now glassless back window, crying out as metal grated and bent above her. The car began to twist from side-to-side like some sort of theme park ride, as the tyrannosaurus pulled at the tires.

It was cruel to have escape so close, but so very far away. Even with the glass shattered and gone, they could not escape through the former windows; the tyrannosaurus would see them and take chase in an instant. The spatter of rain and the smell of mud was a tease. Gwyn, on Lex's right side, clamped a bloody hand over her mouth, trying to muffle her cries. Another deafening roar pierced the air, and there was a terrible grating sound as weight was pressed down on the back of the car. The supports between the body and roof of the car crumpled, and the whole of the ruined vehicle was pushed into the muddy ground. The sludge flowed in through the windows and began to pool around them; it soaked their clothes and painted their skin as they became buried up to their elbows in the soppy dirt.

" _Hey!_ "

Gwyn felt her heart skip at the sound of the familiar voice; she pressed her cheek to the muddy ground so she could peer through what remained of the back window. She saw her father, stood outside his car, bathed in a fine rest mist. In his hand he clutched a flare, which sparked and hissed, lighting up the rain around him in vivid shades of ruby red. With tears in her eyes, she watched Alan wave the flare to the right, then the left. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the flare to the right. The ground shook as the tyrannosaurus followed the tossed flare, abandoning the car. Gwyn heard more shouting.

"Ian, _freeze!_ " Alan shouted.

"Get the kids!"

"Get rid of the flare!"

" _Get the kids!_ "

The shaking of the ground lessened as the tyrannosaurus-rex tromped away, interested in something new. In the shelter of the crushed car, Gwyn, Lex, and Tim were all whimpering and shaking, too scared to move. The mud outside squelched with fast approaching human footsteps; and then Gwyn saw her father's face peering at them through the sliver of space between the car and the ground.

"Dad!" she exclaimed tearfully. Alan, looking simultaneously terrified and relieved, reached a hand into the car and grabbed hold of his daughter's hand. Gwyn scrambled to start squeezing herself out of the car, sobs occasionally shaking from her body. Her arms and face were muddy and bloody, making her incredibly slippery. It was an asset for trying to squeeze out of the car, but it was a fallback because it was hard for Alan to keep a firm hold on her. Even so, he grabbed hold of her arms and helped her wiggle free of their crushed prison.

"I'm stuck! The seat's on my feet!" cried Tim.

"I'll get you next! You're okay!" Alan comforted as he aided Gwyn in completely extracting herself from the car. Once she was free, he bent back over to see how he could help Tim and Lex.

Gwyn, rising up on wobbly knees, looked up and spotted the tyrannosaurus-rex looming over a destroyed building. It was tossing its head back, as it had done with the goat, and nauseating terror grumbled in her stomach. She couldn't help it––she screamed. A moment later, Alan's hand was clamped over her mouth, and she was pulled back against his chest as he leaned them back against the car. Her chest heaved as she was silenced, and she continued to tremble despite her father's warm, comforting presence.

"Shh! Don't move!" he whispered. "He can't see us if we don't move!"

The massive dinosaur had turned around and made to approach the crushed car again, its foot sinking into the mud with a disgusting squelch. Gwyn felt her jaw began to shake as the tyrannosaur leaned forward and began to sniff at the side of the car. Its nose swept past her and Alan, and she felt his hand tighten around her shoulder. A forceful exhale of breath from the creature knocked the hat from Alan's head. Gwyn scrunched her eyes shut, again fearing that it was truly the end. Her heart beat so hard and fast it almost hurt. Clearly enraged, the tyrannosaurus flung its head into what remained of the hood of the car, sending it spinning. Alan and Gwyn were flung to the ground, grunting as they hit the ground. The two Grants scrambled to stay hidden behind the wreck of a car, and inside, the two Murphys struggled to stay silent. Gwyn felt Alan grab a fist full of her shirt, keeping her close as they followed the turning car. When it came to a stop, he hauled her into his side tightly, and she fisted her dirtied hands in his shirt. Her heart was pounding, her fingers was tingling, and she felt terribly nauseous.

The car then swung around again, the trunk slamming into the cement barrier at the base of the mostly destroyed fence. Lex and Tim screamed as they were sent reeling again, and Gwyn had thrown herself back against the barrier when Alan braced his hands on the side of the car. A mixture of rain, mud, blood, and tears streaked down Gwyn's face, and she fought off the urge to start sobbing uncontrollably. The tyrannosaurus-rex continued to snarl and growl on the other side of the car. The car shifted again, and Alan pulled Gwyn to his side as it inched towards the barrier, threatening to crush them. Alan then leapt onto the cement ledge, and Gwyn scrambled to follow suit. Her quaking legs threatened to send her spilling over the drop on the other side of the fence.

"Dad, what do we do!?" she exclaimed, arms thrown out for balance. The car was shoved up against the cement wall, and she screamed as the hood nearly made contact with her knees. Alan shouted in fear and grabbed her around the waist, swinging her out of harm's way. Gwyn let her father pull her arms around his neck as he dropped to his knees. He grabbed hold of a snapped fence cord that dangled over the edge of the cement wall, and Gwyn immediately knew what he was going to do. She quickly clambered onto his back, clinging to him tightly as he started to carefully begin their descent.

When they were a good ten or so feet down, Alan stopped, bracing his knees against the wet cement. Gwyn squinted up into the rain, which was suddenly illuminated by headlights. The tyrannosaurus-rex had managed to knock the car onto the cement ledge, and it was teetering precariously. A gasp ripped from her throat, and she clung to her father even tighter.

"Gwyn! Gwyn, I need you to grab that wire!" Alan shouted, nodding to a second wire draping over the wall to their right. He ran a few steps to the right and Gwyn shot an arm out, fingers outstretched. When she was unable to grab it, Alan repeated the motion, this time with a little more momentum. Again, it was just out of reach. Sidling as far to the left as he could, Alan then ran to the right, his toes scraping against the cement. Gwyn made a strangled sound as she grabbed hold of the wire. Alan held them there and Gwyn gripped tight to the wire, face contorted in a look of concentration. Above them, the car toppled over the the wall and then whooshed past the Grants in a rush of rain and quick-moving metal. It crashed into the trees below them, branches cracking and groaning.

Above them, the tyrannosaurus-rex roared into the rainy evening. Gwyn hid her face in Alan's shoulder and scrunched her eyes shut like it might completely block out the horror show happening around her. Everything started to shake as the dinosaur tromped away, the thuds becoming more and more distant. Whilst the predator exited the scene, Alan started to descend, cautiously scaling down the wall with only the aid of his muddy shoes and the rain-slick metal cord. Gwyn remained perfectly still, arms and legs curled around her father, and tried not to cry. Her body was quaking. Her heart was hammering. Her mind was racing. That morning the park had seemed like a dream come true; and now, hours later, they were living in a nightmare.

 ** _Afterword: I'm excited to finally get this chapter up! The nightmare begins… and things are only gonna get so much worse. I had a blast writing the arrival of Rexy and all of the chaos that ensues her entering the story._**

 ** _Review replies!_**

 ** _Evaline101: _**_I hope that you enjoyed the chapter just like you enjoyed the last one! Thanks again!_

 ** _PhAnToM1212: _**_Thank you! I really love writing this story, and I'm glad that you enjoy reading it; I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!_

 ** _NicoleR85: _**_I'm glad that you've enjoyed the newer content! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; and thanks again!_

 ** _SoleFaith: _**_Your review made my day! I always take special care with this story, because Gwyn in this story is different than the Gwyn in Damnable Place––she's younger and she's experiencing all of this for the first time, and she's the precursor to what Gwyn is in DP. So I'm very, very happy that you enjoy this story just as much as the other! I hope that you, too, are having a lovely June! Thanks again!_

 ** _Guest: _**_Thank you! I'm happy that you enjoyed Gwyn interacting with Lex and Tim, both of whom I actually find incredibly difficult to write. I hope that you enjoyed the new chapter! Thanks again!_

 ** _Guest 2: _**_The action begins! And there is much in store for young Gwyn, so much that makes her who she is when she meets Owen. Especially the inevitable kitchen scene, which is gonna be quite the moment! I hope you enjoyed the chapter; thanks again!_

 ** _The girl with no life: _**_I_ _recently went to Disney World for the first time, and when my friend and I were on the safari at Animal Kingdom, I was like 'this is like Jurassic Park, keep your eyes peeled for raptors.' I'm glad that I'm not the only one who will go to places like zoos and make nerdy references like that! The craziness has only just begun! I hope you enjoyed reading the craziness unfold; thanks again!_

 ** _David4Nudist: _**_I hope that you enjoyed reading Gwyn's reaction to Rexy entering the scene; it was a blast to write and figure out the logistics of. Thanks again!_

 ** _And thank you to those who have added this story to their follows/favorites; it means a lot!_**

 ** _And that's it for now! Up next we'll get some night-time trekking through the woods and some father-daughter bonding time, which is gonna be so feelsy. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_**

 ** _~Mary_**


	8. Up a Tree

_Disclaimer:_ _I do not own the Jurassic Park franchise or any of it's characters; I only own the characters and plots of my own mind._

8\. Up a Tree

It was a sweet relief when the two Grants were finally on solid ground once again. Gwyn slipped off her father's back, but kept herself pressed close to him, hands grabbing fistfulls of his shirt. Alan was her anchor to sanity––something that she felt like she had left in the Ford before it toppled off the wall. Her hands were torn away from his shirt, however, when Alan spun around and dropped into a crouch before her. His eyes began to frantically scan her body whilst Gwyn stared at him with a wide-eyed, terrified stare. His gaze became sharply fixated on her face, darting about with more acute movements.

"You're bleeding, where are you bleeding from?" he murmured. His face was composed in a look of unadulterated concern––brows furrowed, widened eyes, mouth hanging open just slightly.

Both of Alan's hands, warm against her shock-chilled skin, cupped Gwyn's cheeks, which were spattered in mud and blood. His thumbs started to furiously swipe at her skin, attempting to search out the source of bleeding. Gwyn flinched when the rough pad of her father's thumb ran none-too-gently across her temple––it was there that she had been cut. It was likely due to the shattered glass that had littered the car as it was tossed and turned and flipped and abused. Alan winced and scrubbed his hand clean on the leg of his pants before he did his best to wipe the area free of mud. Once it was obvious that the rest of her face was unscathed, he began to scan the rest of her body. His hands clutched her shoulders before sliding down her arms, which he pulled away from her body to check for wounds. There were a few scrapes and hair-line cuts, but nothing was gushing blood.

Gwyn was promptly pulled into her father's arms and hugged tight. She heard him mutter 'thank god' into her hair, which was a complete and utter mess around her face. Both of her arms tightly wrapped around Alan's neck, into which she sniffled. He smelled like sweat and rain and there was never a more comforting combination of scents. It was far more comforting than the damp smell of the trees and dirt around them––all of that was overwhelming. The embrace was short lived, despite how much both parties wanted to simply cling to each other and forget the horror show that had been unfolding. They were still in danger.

Alan rose to his feet and steered Gwyn towards the wall they had just scaled down. An industrial cement pipe was exposed there, gushing water noisily. The paleontologist thrust his face into the water to both rid himself of mud and blood and to help keep him alert. He drew back, sputtering slightly as the water dribbled away from his face. Gwyn felt a cold flush of fear when a sudden thought occurred to her. Her small hands grabbed hold of Alan's shirt desperately.

"W-what about Lex and T-Tim?" she stuttered out.

The question seemed to take a moment to register. When it finally did, however, Alan twisted around and craned his head back to peer up into the tree closest to them. Both father and daughter gaped up at the car, which had somehow managed to cling to the tree so its bumper faced the ground. Towards the top, the mostly destroyed Ford Explorer was balanced precariously, and its headlights shone downwards through the branches. The metal would groan every couple of moments. It was a disaster waiting to happen, and something needed to be done about it.

"Tim!? Lex!" Alan called out. He took a few steps towards the tree and Gwyn followed on wobbly legs. No response was called back. "Timmy! Lex!" Again, nothing. Alan swore under his breath before he turned back to his daughter; both her shoulders were clasped in his hands and gripped tightly. "I need you to stay here, Gwyn, do you understand? I'm going to go help Lex and Tim, but I need you to stay _right here_." Gwyn stared at him wide-eyed whilst her body shook. Alan arched both brows pointedly and brought his hands to cup either side of her face. "I'll be right back, I promise. I won't leave you. I would _never_ leave you. Alright?"

It took much effort for Gwyn to give the nod that she offered him. The gesture was stiff and her body was so tense it hurt. She blinked as Alan kissed her forehead briskly and watched him quickly stride towards the tree. Gwyn stood there for a long moment, with water and mud pooling around her ankles, staring blankly at nothing in particular. When that dull blankness became too much, she spun on her heel and forced her head into the gush of clean water. It was cold, shocking, and just what Gwyn needed. With a gasp, she wrenched her head from the water. Hair clung to her forehead, cheeks, and the sides of her neck, sopping wet and dripping. She furiously started to scrub at her face and arms, rubbing away what mud and blood was caked across her skin. The action suited to keep her distracted for a little while, even once all the muck and gore was gone.

Once Gwyn had rubbed water over her face and arms one too many times, she crawled into the cement pipe for safety. She curled in on herself and hugged her knees tightly. As time went on, she started to rock back and forth just slightly, eyes staring blankly ahead of herself. There was nothing she could do but wait for Alan to come back. Nothing but sit there and relive what had just transpired. She thought of the roaring and how it hurt her ears, how her body had been tossed around like a ragdoll, and how she was so sure she was going to die. It occurred to her, then, that it was _still_ possible she could die. That was a frightening realization. It caused her stomach to twist and her throat and eyes to burn. With her expression crumpling, Gwyn hid her face in her knees and started to cry. What if she _did_ die? That question was strange to ponder at such a young age. She was young enough to be mostly unaware of all the things she would not experience should she not escape with her life; but she was old enough to know there was _so much_ that she had yet to do. It was a shocking realization. A numbing one.

A few minutes passed before there was a scramble of excited voices, the cracking of branches, and the groaning of metal. Gwyn cautiously raised her head and craned it forward so she could peer out of the pipe. It was all she could do to watch as the Ford began its final descent, chasing Alan, Tim, and Lex down the trunk of the tree. Branches cracked and gave way under the weight of the vehicle. The three scrambled to the ground, where Alan practically tackled the two children into a hunker, his arms protectively curled around them. There was a terrible groaning sound as the Ford flipped forward and engulfed the trio with its mangled metal body.

" _Dad!_ " Gwyn screeched, launching herself out of the pipe. She stumbled and struggled to gain her footing once her feet made contact with the muddy earth. The frantic beating of her heart drowned out all other sound; she did _not_ just watch her father get crushed by a car, she did _not…_ "Dad!" The toe of her right shoe caught on her left ankle, and Gwyn went sprawling to her knees, hands having flown forward to stop her from crashing into the car.

"We're alright, Gwyn, we're alright…" came the breathless voice of her father. A sigh of relief passed through her lips and she bowed her head. The thrumming of her heart began to calm.

A small hand stretched through the open door and the equally small fingers dug into the soft earth. Tim began to drag himself out of the remains of the Ford, whilst making grunts of effort. Gwyn wiggled back on her knees and reached out to grasp the boy under his armpits. She gave a pull and helped extract him from the mangled vehicle. The two fell backwards, with Gwyn's behind landing solidly in the mud and Tim using her torso as a crash pad. Lex was next to exit the car, shaking and wide-eyed. She remained on her hands and knees, staring at the ground with her mouth agape. She seemed to be muttering something under her breath––something to the effect of 'he left us.' Alan appeared on the other side of the car, looking frazzled with rumpled hair and eyes wild with adrenaline.

"You're wet," Tim informed Gwyn, his cheek still smooshed against her chest. Gwyn nodded, still in a slight daze, and helped sit him upright.

"So are you," she replied.

Beside them, Lex seemed to come out of her haze and launched herself at her brother, hugging him tightly. He protested with a strangled grunt, as he was practically dragged to the ground with his sister. Gwyn struggled to her feet, wobbling on shaky ankles. The four of them were all a little worse for wear; they bore scrapes and bruises, their hair was damp, and their clothes were all now varying shades of brown thanks to the mud. All of them were a little bleary eyed with vaguely furrowed brows. Everything that had happened to them thus far seemed disgustingly unreal––and yet, there they were, living the impossible.

"Okay…" Alan murmured. He rounded the car and stretched out a hand, which trembled slightly. "Kids, we're gonna have to keep moving. We… we need to find a safe place to rest and to… figure out what the hell we're going to do next."

Gwyn looked up at her father, eyes widening whilst her stomach dropped heavily. "W-what about Ellie? A-and Dr. M-Malcolm?" A dinosaur was on the loose, who was to say it hadn't made its way to the visitor's center? And it _had_ been chasing Ian, hadn't it?

Alan crouched down and took both of her shoulders in both his hands. He raised both brows, and met his daughter's gaze intently. "Ellie is far away from here, she'll be fine. You and I both know she can take care of herself; you're both alike in that aspect."

"And Dr. Malcolm?"

Alan's expression fell a little, and his eyes darted up the height of the wall they'd descended. "He… he'll be okay."

Gwyn blinked at Alan, her brows knitting together slowly. She, too, looked to the top of the wall, where the destroyed fence loomed at a crooked angle. The rain had come to a drizzling stop, but clouds still obscured the sky in a dark haze. Alan's answer had inspired little hope. When Gwyn dragged her gaze back to meet her father's, her expression crumpled a little more, in the most heartbreaking way.

"Why are you lying?" she asked, voice warbling on the last word. Alan's face fell further. With a completely sobered look, he tried to force a smile and a laugh.

"You've always been a little too observant for your age…" Said thought seemed to be voiced purely for himself. His fingers squeezed her small shoulders and he cleared his throat. "I… don't know about Dr. Malcolm; and that's the honest truth."

That honest truth only added to the heaviness of the situation. Gwyn nodded and let her gaze become fixated on her feet. She was suddenly very aware of everyone else's mortality, not just her own. She felt Alan sweep a hand along the back of her head, a gesture meant to be comforting. Her father rose from the crouch and went to aid Lex and Tim in getting to their feet again. Gwyn wrapped her arms around her midsection tightly. She was starting to feel cold, despite the oppressive humidity the tropic island brought.

The four soon began their slow trek through the jungle. Alan forged the way with cautious steps, making sure he observed the landscape properly before they moved a great distance. The kids kept as close to him as they possibly could, with Gwyn oftentimes grabbing either the back of his shirt or his belt to make sure he didn't stray too far ahead. Moving through the jungle was just as nerve-wracking as the attack had been. They were surrounded by strange sounds and every rustle of a nearby branch made them freeze in fear. They moved super cautiously, with paranoia causing their heads to tick every which-way at every little sound. After what felt like hours, they came to a stop around a massive tree. Its trunk appeared to be made of a tangle of several different trees, all twisted and knotted together. It was sparse in the foliage department, but its branches were thick and supported thin curtains of leafy vines. Alan prompted the kids to stay put as he made to walk around the tree in its entirety.

Whilst they waited for Alan to complete the circle, a terrifyingly familiar sound echoed in the distance. It was the roar of the tyrannosaurus-rex. Gwyn felt her joints stiffen in fear. The sound had been distant, too far away to be of immediate concern; but she didn't want to find out how quickly it could become a concern.

"Are you hearing this?" Lex murmured.

"That's… far enough away… right?" Gwyn added on under her breath.

Alan, who had taken a defensive stance, backed up towards them and stretched a hand back towards them. He wormed his way behind them and ushered them forward with urgent steps.

"Come on, kids. Come on, hurry up. Let's, uh, get up this tree," Alan prompted. Gwyn was quick to take initiative, rushing to the tree with quick feet. She stared up at the knotted trunk with wide eyes, trying to figure out where to find a proper hand-hold. Tim began to whine tiredly, dragging his feet whilst they approached the tangled tree trunk. "Come on, Tim, it's okay. Try up here."

"Oh, _man_ … I _hate_ trees," Tim whined.

"They don't bother me!" Lex informed in the brightest tone she'd given in the last hour. She began to expertly scale the tree with ease, apparently eager to be off the treacherous ground. Gwyn watched Tim pull a face as Alan helped boost him up a ways.

"Yeah? Well you'd think weren't in the last one…" he griped under his breath. Once Tim was well on his way up the trunk, Alan turned his attention to Gwyn. She had turned back to staring at the intimidating trunk, looking for the right crevice to fit her hands into.

"Here, Gwyn, let me––" Alan began, holding out a hand for her to take. But she shook her head, found her own hand-hold and began to pull herself upwards. Her limbs protested the movement, and she made a face at the feel of her tired muscles.

"I got it," she assured her father. He watched as she began to climb with the ease of someone who'd done it dozens of times before. She was slow going, sure, but her movements were assured. But Gwyn had never climbed a tree, Alan was sure of it. They were never home long enough for her to even attempt scaling the one in their backyard. Alan began to ascend as well, watching as his daughter's toes found purchase where they could, and how her hands grasped at knots in the bark.

"When did you learn to climb?" Alan inquired with a furrowed brow. Gwyn paused and glanced down at her dad, hair falling into her eyes.

"David taught me."

"David?" he asked in confusion. "Who's David?" Gwyn made a grunting sound as she pulled herself up with shaking arms. She seated herself beside Lex and Tim in a little alcove made of thick tree branches and the curve of the tree trunk.

"That paleontologist from Seattle who worked on the last dig. He thought it was absurd I didn't know how to climb a tree, so whenever he had time off, he worked on teaching me," Gwyn explained as Alan pulled himself up beside her.

Alan stared at his daughter, eyes roaming her dirt and blood smudged face. There were many things that he had come to realize that day, but what occurred to him just then hit hard, like a swift punch to the stomach. It left him breathless with a pounding heart and a need to frown. He hadn't taught his own daughter how to climb a tree. He hadn't been there to assure her she was okay as she looked down at the ground in fear. Hadn't been there to comfort her when she skinned her knee against the bark. Instead, someone else––whom he didn't even know, and that Gwyn hardly knew––had been the one to do those things. Do what a _parent_ should be there to do. While that thought wormed its way uncomfortably through his head, he began to wonder just what else he had missed.

A low groaning sound caught everyone's attention, drawing their eyes towards the view before them. The sky––mostly cleared of clouds––bore faint splotches of coral pink, betraying the fact that the sun had just set. The jungle stretched on before them, bathed in the cool light of the misty evening. Long necked creatures rose above the trees, unaware of their human audience.

"Hey!" Tim exclaimed excitedly. He pointed forward with a broad grin spreading across his face. "Those are brontosauruses! I mean, brachiosauruses."

The groaning and moaning sounds continued at varying distances. Gwyn felt her lips twitch up at the corners a little; the sight and sounds before them were… beautiful. The massive creatures in the distance inspired no fear. Their docile nature almost proved to comfort and soothe after the vicious nature of the monster that had attacked them.

"They're singing…" Alan exhaled with a smile. They listened for a little while longer, before Alan––with a boyish excitement––rose to his feet and shifted over to a different branch. He straddled it for support and curled his hands before his mouth as though holding a trumpet of some sort. Gwyn watched curiously as her father put some amount of effort into mimicking the dinosaurs in the distance. To everyone's surprise, they bellowed back in response… and much closer than expected. Two more brachiosauruses raised their heads; they stood less than a couple hundred feet away. Panicked, Lex began to tug on Alan's pant leg.

"Shh! Shh! Don't let the monsters come over here!" she exclaimed.

"They aren't monsters," Gwyn replied, pulling her knees up to her chest. It was a bold statement after the evening they'd had. Her eyes roamed the horizon, lingering on the silhouettes of her favorite dinosaur. "They're herbivores, so they won't hurt us."

"That means they only eat vegetables, but I think for you they'd make an exception," elaborated Tim, raising his eyebrows at his sister. She glared at his brotherly teasing and returned her gaze to the brachiosaurus.

"Well, I hate the other kind," Lex said decisively. Alan shifted off the branch, utilizing the trunk for support.

"They just… do what they do," he said with a mild shrug.

Once Alan had reseated himself, back braced against the tangled trunk, Gwyn shifted backwards so she was tucked under his right arm. Tim and Lex followed by example and crowded close to his right side. Before they could all get properly settled, Alan hissed and reached for something in his back pocket. He extracted the fossilized velociraptor claw he'd taken from the dig site. Gwyn stared at it with a frown on her face, recalling the flashes of leathery skin she'd seen at the raptor paddock. A shudder rolled through her body as she imagined the damage that claw had likely once done. Alan looped his arm around Gwyn's shoulder whilst the two Grants continued to consider the fossil.

"What're you and Ellie gonna do now if you don't dig up dinosaur bones anymore?" Lex inquired sleepily.

"I dunno. I guess… I guess we'll just have to evolve too…" Alan replied.

The question and answer made Gwyn's stomach squirm uncomfortably. She couldn't picture a life without paleontology. Without long days in the sun, itchy sunburns, and month-long digs. That was her normalcy; she didn't want any of that taken away. Gwyn cuddled herself into Alan's side, regarding the claw with a little more sadness than before. The mood had become somber, a saddened air settling around them like a blanket.

After a moment, Tim broke the silence. "What do you call a blind dinosaur?"

"I don't know, what do you call a blind dinosaur?" Alan asked in return, glancing Tim's way. His fatherly tone was starting to creep into his voice, making it gentle and warm. Gwyn rested her head against her father's chest and watched as Tim smiled sweetly.

"Do-you-think-he-saurus." Gwyn grinned tiredly and felt Alan chuckle heartily. Clearly pleased by the response he got, Tim tried for a second joke. "What do you call a blind dinosaur's dog?"

"You got me."

"Do-you-think-he-saurus-rex."

Gwyn shut her eyes whilst Alan chuckled again, the warm familiar sound proving to calm her still frayed nerves.

"Alan?" Lex asked.

"Yeah?"

"What if the dinosaurs come back while we're all asleep?" Her voice got progressively more tired as she spoke. It was clear she was fighting off sleep with each word. Gwyn felt Alan take in a deep breath as he contemplated his response.

"Well… I'll stay awake," he told her.

"All night?"

"All night."

The two Murphys, satisfied by the answer, curled into each other––and Alan––and shut their eyes. Gwyn's tiredly opened just in time to watch Alan toss the fossilized claw aside. There was a gentle thump as it hit the ground below them. Something about that felt meaningful. Meaningful in a way that Gwyn's exhausted mind couldn't quite grasp hold of; not while she was so tired, at least. So she filed the moment away to consider when she wasn't terrified they'd be set upon by killer dinosaurs. Her eyes drifted shut again, and she pressed herself closer to Alan's warmth. As one minuted lapsed into five, and from five to ten, she felt the heaviness of exhaustion in her limbs. Her arms ached from the effort of pushing at the plexiglass roof piece; her torso throbbed in the spots she had slammed into the car's interior as it was thrashed about. Gwyn furrowed her brows and shifted her heavy arms and legs so she was pressed closer to her father. His embrace had always made her feel better.

Alan remained silent for a good while, keeping his arms protectively wrapped around the children at his sides. But that silence allowed for him to linger on the unsettled thoughts he'd uncovered not too long ago. He peered down at his daughter with a frown appearing at the corners of his mouth. For the first time since the attack on the car, Gwyn's face looked peaceful and relaxed. Alan tightened the arm that was wrapped around her shoulders and pressed a gentle kiss to the crown of her head. How many potentially pivotal moments had he missed? Alan had always been aware he'd never been a terribly conventional father; in fact, becoming a father had been a surprised and _being_ a father had been difficult. He knew that he was gruff and blunt, and that such a natural attitude didn't lead into being a natural father. People made sure that he understood that. But that didn't mean that he didn't love it, and that he didn't love his daughter. She had become his world, and it pained him to think he might not have been paying attention to her like he should have been.

"Gwyn?" he asked quietly, unsure if she had fallen asleep yet. In response, she hummed and shifted her head so it rested against his shoulder instead of his chest. Alan raised a hand and began to thread it through her hair, which was only a little damp, now; he turned his head so he could look down at her, a crease deeply set between his brows. "I'm… I'm sorry that I didn't teach you how to climb a tree."

Gwyn felt her brows furrow in confusion. She shook her head and made a sound that could have been a laugh if she hadn't been so tired. Alan's fingers continued to smooth themselves across her hair, brushing strands of it out of her face with a fatherly love he was no longer sure he'd ever exercised with her. Her shoulders raised and them slumped again. "It was just tree climbing," she attempted to dismiss. But Alan wasn't having that as an excuse, so he shook his head, the frown on his lips deepening.

"I still should have taught you… there are a lot of things I should have taught you."

"But you _have_ taught me things, dad."

"I'm not talking about… _dinosaur_ facts or paleontology basics, Gwyn… I'm talking about things like… how to ride a bike, how to climb a tree… I should've… built you a tree-house… things that parents are supposed to do with their children," Alan told her. He exhaled slowly, a shudder present in the breath that escaped through his nose. "I haven't been a very good father, have I?"

Somewhere in the distance a brachiosaurus groaned and munched down on another tree branch, a sound that filled the silence that followed Alan's question. Gwyn shifted so she could stare up at him, shaking her head in denial of his inquiry. He may have not been the most conventional of fathers, but she wouldn't have ever had it any other way. She couldn't picture her younger years without his blunt-edged comments about how dinosaurs hunted, or without the long sunny days on dig sites. Unconventional was her life, and that was exactly how she liked it and why she _loved_ it. Why she loved _him_.

"Of course you're a good dad," she told him. "You and I aren't supposed to be like normal families. Normal families seem boring. I don't need to have a tree-house––I've got the Montana Badlands as a place to play."

"It's what the tree-house… I don't know… _symbolizes––_ "

"What?"

"I dunno…" he mused. "Parenthood? The relationship between parent and child?" Gwyn stared at him hard, waiting for a direct answer. Alan pulled his arm from around her shoulders and scratched at the back of his head, at a loss of proper words. A sigh escaped his lips and his shoulders rose and fell in a deflated shrug.

"Then maybe that's a tree-house for some people. But to _me_ … I guess that would be the paintings on the walls of my bedroom that you did. The ones of the dinosaurs. 'Cause you and I, we're a dino-fossil-hunting, father-daughter team. I wouldn't have it differently." She had spoken with a confidence that exceeded her age, and that made Alan's brows hike upwards. Gwyn snuggled back into Alan's side, her arms wrapping around his midsection. "You're the best dad," she murmured tiredly. "You can teach me to…" there was a pause as she yawned, "to ride a bike when we get home…"

Alan's lips quirked to the side at the sleepiness of her voice. He wrapped his arm around her protectively and secured her place against his torso. With his head lolled back against the tree, Alan let his eyes slip shut. "It's a deal."

"Love you, dad…"

"Love you too, sweetheart."

 _ **Afterword:**_ _**And we inch ever closer to the end of the film. I'm very sorry about the long wait, but school and life got in the way. Hardcore. I've barely had time to breathe let alone write. I'm inching up on having a month long break, however, so I should be able to flex my creative muscles a little more in the coming weeks.**_

 _ **Review Replies!**_

 **SabakuNoGaara426:** _I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the last chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one just as much! Thanks again!_

 **god of all:** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the last one! Thanks again!_

 **Evaline101:** _Thank you; I hope that you've stuck around to keep reading after all this time. Thanks again!_

 **NicoleR85:** _Here's a new update, many months later. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **XxRikela-chanxX:** _I'm happy you enjoyed the car scene; it was fun to write the stress of the situation, and figure out Gwyn's thoughts to it all. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **The girl with no life:** _I'm flattered to hear you love the story––and I, too, would probably bring Jurassic Park to a deserted island. There's always so much to pick up on every time you watch it. Thanks again! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

 **SoleFaith:** _This chapter had the first major father-daughter moment, with Alan realizing that his parenting style is a bit… different; and being scared he's missed stuff with Gwyn growing up. And there are more father-daughter moments to come! And everything will work out for her in the end––even if she has to relive a little of it. But she'll have Owen at her side, and they'll fight through it ;) I am very happy you've been enjoying the story! Thank you so much!_

 **Guest:** _Here's some more! Hope you enjoyed it!_

 **Kernow85:** _I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 **PhAnToM1212:** _Thank you so much; I hope you enjoyed the newest installment!_

 **suzii3499:** _I'm very glad you have enjoyed the story so far––and that you've been enjoying Gwyn. She's a character that I got to de-age, as I am using her in a different story, so it was fun to figure out how she would have been as a child; very much a kid, but with that streak of strange maturity. Alan is honestly a wonderful dad; he's just always been self conscious about it. I hope that you enjoyed the new chapter! Thanks again!_

 **CrystalVixen93:** _I am very happy you've been enjoying the story; I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Thanks again!_

 **singingKatelyn:** _Thank you! I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter!_

 **Infinite Rex:** _I'm finally back to keep on writing, after that terribly long break. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks again!_

 _ **And thank you to those that have read and added this to follows/favorites; it means a lot!**_

 _ **That's it for now; and I really truly hope to get to updating this soon. School work is dwindling as finals approach, so I'll hopefully have more time. Thank you to everyone who has waited so patiently! You all rock!**_

 _ **~Mary**_


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